Just Food interim director Elizabeth Keever addresses Chef's Dinner attendees, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015, at Cider Gallery, 810 Pennsylvania.

Food and monetary donations to the food bank Just Food have remained steady in the months since Jeremy Farmer, its former executive director — and former Lawrence mayor — resigned from his position over allegations he took about $55,000 from the organization over a three-year period.

Elizabeth Keever, Just Food’s interim director, said Wednesday that the food bank experienced an overall increase in donations in 2015, partly because of a campaign that raised almost $80,000 to pay off the organization’s tax liability, as well as the growth of a program in which unused food is recovered from local grocery stores and restaurants.

“It’s been very steady,” Keever said. “There was an increase when we asked for support to help us out of that time, and after that we saw a very steady pace of how we’re doing. We’re really fortunate to be back on track.”

In 2014, Just Food received $565,422 in monetary donations and 799,682 pounds of food donations, Keever said. That’s up from 2014, when the food bank received $480,117 and 339,262 pounds of food.

Through the organization’s food recovery program, which started in late 2014, Just Food collected about 600,000 pounds of food in 2015, up from about 200,000 in 2014.

The food bank has also completed other fundraisers, such as “Jay’s Dinner,” which raised $5,400 for Just Food on Feb. 4. Proceeds from a concert this Saturday with Lawrence-based songwriter Kelley Hunt will also go to the food bank.

Keever said she’d also welcome an initiative introduced by City Commissioner Matthew Herbert to allow downtown parking violations to be paid with food donations to people’s food pantry of choice.

A proposal about the idea has not been brought before the City Commission. Herbert asked at a commission meeting earlier this month that it be placed on an upcoming agenda.

In response to a Journal-World editorial about the proposal, Herbert wrote that Farmer’s actions had an effect on the amount of donations to Just Food.

While that isn’t the case, Keever said, having people make food donations in lieu of paying parking tickets would be of help.

The smallest increase the food bank saw in 2015 was of nonperishable food items, she said. Those donations increased by 15,000 pounds.

“Just to correct the record, we actually haven’t seen a decline,” Keever said. “But we always see a decline at the beginning of the year of canned food items, which a program like that would really help. Unfortunately, there are times when the need exceeds the amount budgeted and available.”