The Allentown West Rotary Club welcomed and honored members of Christ’s Church at Lowhill Food Pantry at its Dec. 23, 2015, meeting at Luther Crest Retirement Community, South Whitehall Township.

Prior to the meeting, Rotarian Herb Klotz presented Christmas gifts to the 2015-16 Rotary exchange student studying at Parkland High School, Michaela Luicova from Slovakia.

Also prior to Rotarians hearing about the food pantry, Mike Henry gave the invocation, announcements were made, and Sgt. at Arms Don Davis collected fines, happy dollars and awarded the door prize to Barbara Kistler, who was named Rotarian of the Week.

Kistler joined the Allentown West Rotary Club after meeting Alicia Orbin at a Leadership Lehigh Valley function.

There she became very impressed with the female leadership in the club.

She was the youth service chair and president-elect from 2013-14 and president of the club in 2014-15.

Kistler’s proudest moment was providing administrative support as president so members could grow the club and programs.

Kistler then introduced Nancy Holbrook and Bev Kistler from the Christ’s Church at Lowhill Food Pantry, who discussed the history and operation of the food pantry.

Holbrook said the food pantry began in December 2008 by a group of people who saw a need in the area.

Dr. Terry and Joe Mitling, along with Ralph Zettlemoyer, were instrumental in starting the food pantry in the 1866 school house at Christ’s Church at Lowhill.

They were also good at finding churches and organizations to help with the food pantry, Holbrook said.

“Joe Mitling went to the council to ask if they could use the school house,” she said. “We serve families in the Northwestern Lehigh School District.”

She said the food pantry receives several thousand pounds of food a week.

“In 2012, the addition was completed from $90,000 collected from May to September and labor supplied by people in the community,” Holbrook said.

Bev Kistler said the new addition was critical to continuing the mission at the food pantry.

She said the first Saturday the food pantry opened in 2009, they served two families.

“This past month, we served 100 households.

“That equals 359 people who were given food,” Kistler stated.

“We have 118 clients registered with the food pantry.”

“Our pantry is a choice pantry. People coming to the Lowhill food pantry are given a cart or box, then they can go through the pantry like shopping at a grocery store.”

Bev Kistler said they are honored to be partnering with the Allentown West Rotary Club for the snack pack program.

“Working not only with the Rotary and school district has been wonderful,” she stated. Everything has been organized and Gloria Zimmerman does a lot of the coordination.”

She said each child on the free lunch program is given a snack pack which is strictly a brown paper bag with snacks, a hot meal, cereal and juice inside.

“Right now we are providing snack packs for 84 students in the Northwestern Lehigh School District,” Bev Kistler stated.

Kenny Kistler, a volunteer at the food pantry commented on the atmosphere and service at Christ’s Church at Lowhill Food pantry.

“One of the things that have been impressive to me is the atmospheres in which all of these folks and volunteers work at the food pantry,” he said.

“The clients or people who use the food pantry are welcomed in a loving warm atmosphere and they are treated with respect and dignity which is as important as providing food. This food pantry excels in this area.”

Before closing comments, Rotarian Gloria Zimmerman, Klotz and Barbara Kistler presented Christ’s Church at Lowhill Food Pantry volunteers Bev Kistler and Nancy Holbrook the Rotary Club Professional Service Award for Outstanding Service to the Community.