Those untouched cans of food in the back of your pantry could be doing some serious good for the Niles Salvation Army.

The food pantry and three-day-a-week free meal service is in dire need of food donations so that they can continue their mission in providing food to local families.

Non-perishable donations are preferred and can be dropped off at Four Flags Area Chamber of Commerce, 321 E Main St, Niles, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Few items have been donated to the Salvation Army since the Post Office’s Stamp Out Hunger in May said Jan Nowak, Salvation Army director of caring ministries office and social services. Now the Salvation Army’s kitchen has only about two weeks of food left to provide to families in need.

“Unfortunately the response from the public has been less and less, “ Nowak said.

Nowak said, for many food pantries, the summer is a tough season, as donations dwindle and the number of families in demand increases.

“People don’t donate as much in the summer,” Nowak said. “ (It’s a) problem for me, because we need to make sure that we can continue to respond (to families).”

The Salvation Army, which partners with the First Presbyterian Church and the Christian Services ,offers a free cooked lunch Monday, Wednesday and Fridays and gives out groceries from their food pantry as well. On an average day, Nowak said they receive about 12 to 16 families in need of food.

While the Salvation Army has so far not had to ration food for families, Nowak said they have nearly used up their reserves and any donation of food can be a big help. The Salvation Army pantry depends on 100 percent food donations.

“These aren’t strangers. They are your neighbors and who doesn’t want to help out a neighbor?” Nowak said.

Because they do not have a walk-in refrigerator, Nowak said that “shelf stable” donations are preferred, though donations of meat or other perishables will be accepted.

The following is a list of the most needed items:

Cereal, canned meats, hamburger helper, ramen noodles, canned chili, canned juice, dry or canned milk, Dinty Moore, tuna helper, canned soups of all kinds, pork ‘n’ beans, broths or gravy, spaghetti sauce, sloppy Joe mix, boxed potato mixes, canned vegetables of all kinds, canned fruits of all kinds, canned pasta of all kinds, tuna, mac ‘n’ cheese, peanut butter and monetary donations will be accepted.

For more information, visit their website at: saniles.org or call (269) 684-2660.