The combination of winter blizzards and post-Christmas frugality has left the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank desperate for supplies.

Heavy snowfalls have prevented regular deliveries of food to the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank, operations manager Kevin McKay said Sunday.

"When there are snow days, there are still people who need our food. That doesn't end," he said.

Storms closed food bank for 3 days

He said the food and furniture bank had to be closed three days last week because staff couldn't make it into work.

McKay said that's affecting other food banks.

Kevin McKay, operations manager for Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank, says stocks are very low due to winter storms and fewer donations. (CBC)

"The suppliers they have, we have. So anything that affects us, affects them," he said.

The first three months of the year are traditionally tough ones for food banks, McKay said.

"The Christmas rush, people have the warm fuzzies, they give to food banks like ours. Then the end of the year happens, they've spent most of their money, so donations really drop off significantly," he said.

Dire situation

Stocks are so low now that families who would normally be given two boxes of food are getting one or even less, he said.

While Parker Street does keep some reserves, "that is for desperate times," McKay said.

The situation is getting dire. The food bank serves between 80 and 120 people daily on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays when its pantry is open.

Cash donations have bigger impact

People also depend on the facility for help with heating their residences and paying for electricity.

Parker Street appreciates donations of non-perishable items, produce and the like, but McKay reminds the public that their financial donations can go further because of the organization's buying power.

"We will always take canned goods that people bring to us, but that's not the most cost-effective way of doing it."

He said if supporters are concerned about how their money will be spent, they can specify that their donations must go toward food purchases, or to a family, or for electricity.