The Okotoks Food Bank has started 2017 in good spirits thanks to the generosity of residents over the holidays.

This Christmas the food bank distributed 225 hampers which is up 32% from last year where 170 were distributed.

Sheila Hughes, executive director of the Okotoks Food Bank, says they're in good shape right now but they're still looking for a few toiletry type items.

"We're well stocked in our store room for our hampers but there's always a few things we don't have like right now we still could use some shampoo and conditioner and a few non-food items like that but as far as the standard food donations we get we're doing really well."

Typically the food bank sees a slow down in donations over the warmer months beginning in May through to August. Last year at the end of the summer Hughes says she recalls only having about two cans of vegetables on the shelf.

Hughes says there's recently been articles out saying not to give food banks canned food which she says isn't true.

"If we didn't receive the non-perishable food donations we'd be spending the monetary donations on canned goods rather than the fresh food we try really hard to buy for our clients so both are really important to us all throughout the year."

Since 2014 the Okotoks Food Bank has seen an increase in users of 96%.