Milk - most people drink it daily, and it is readily available at grocery stores. One cup of milk, whether whole, low-fat or fat free, provides the following percentages of the daily value: calcium, 30; riboflavin, 26; vitamin D, 25; phosphorus, 25; vitamin B-12, 22; protein, 16; potassium, 11; vitamin A, 10; and niacin, 10. Calcium is used for building bones and teeth and in maintaining bone mass. Milk sounds like a winning drink to me!

There are many people who cannot afford milk at all, and it can be expensive for people on tight budgets. When the Whitehall-Coplay schools closed for the summer, some students, who are on a reduced or free breakfast and/or lunch program, do not always get a healthy meal at home, let alone milk. Also, for those who qualify and depend on the Whitehall Food Pantry to supplement their food needs during the month, milk has always been an asked-for item. Other than shelf-stable milk, which does not have to be refrigerated, no refrigerated milk has ever been offered by Second Harvest, which supplies the majority of the food at local food pantries and other agencies.

At a press conference June 21, Second Harvest announced it is taking part in a new statewide initiative to provide its food pantry and other agency participants with fresh milk with the first-ever Fill a Glass with Hope milk program. Fill a Glass with Hope, the first statewide charitable fresh milk program, is a collaborative partnership among Feeding Pennsylvania, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program and Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association.

Pennsylvania’s dairy industry is committed to providing fresh milk to families in need through Feeding Pennsylvania’s network of eight food banks (Second Harvest is one), which serves more than two million people annually.

Guest speakers included Deputy Secretary Hannah Smith-Brubaker of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture; Executive Director Jane Clements-Smith of Feeding Pennsylvania; Paula A. Johnson of Northeast Ministry, a member agency of Second Harvest; and John Pierce of Lehigh Valley Dairy Farms, which will provide milk to Second Harvest at a discounted price through this public-private partnership.

This program is the first in Pennsylvania and in the whole United States. At the press conference, it was mentioned that other states are now eagerly working with Pennsylvania’s model to institute a future milk program in their own states. During this pilot year, Second Harvest plans to make at least 75,000 half gallons of fresh milk available to pantries and agencies within its network.

The Whitehall Food Pantry will need to purchase the milk from Second Harvest, though the cost is at extremely low prices. The pantry will need to spend 20 cents for a quart of milk and 40 cents for a half gallon of milk. The Whitehall Food Pantry always is in need of donations in general and now especially for milk. Any donation would be very much appreciated. Please make your checks payable to Whitehall Food Pantry, c/o Doreen Wagner, 3900 Mechanicsville Road, Whitehall, 18052. If you want your donation going strictly for milk, please write that in the memo section on your check.

The Whitehall Food Pantry serves people every Monday night from 6 p.m. to 8 pm. The guests only come one Monday a month. Just so you have an idea of the number of people served for the month, Wagner provided these numbers to me from January through May 2016.

January: Adults, 237; kids, 108; seniors, 33; and families, 112

February: Adults, 219; kids, 85; seniors, 34; and families, 117

March: Adults, 119; kids, 63; seniors, 32; and families, 105

April: Adults, 237; kids, 84; seniors, 41; and families, 109

May: Adults, 224; kids, 52; seniors, 43; and families, 111

Total: Adults, 1,116; kids, 392; seniors, 183; and families, 554

Also, Second Harvest delivers to the food pantry once a month. Milk will need to be picked up every week. Local grocery stores also donate to the food pantry. However, these items need to be picked up by volunteers like you and me. Wagner is in need of people who can pick these items up. If you can help, please call her at 610-443-0503.

The Coplay Food Pantry currently is not affiliated with Second Harvest and, therefore, cannot obtain the foods or milk provided by Second Harvest.

Fresh vegetables are also needed by both the Whitehall and the Coplay food pantries. The Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative also has a 30-foot-by-40-foot vegetable garden at the Mickley-Prydun Farm, located at 3540 Ruch St., Whitehall. To help feed the hungry, learn about gardening and share the harvest with the Whitehall and Coplay food pantries, contact Rob Williams at design911@rcn.com. Williams would like to have kids learn about gardening. If you are a Scout, church or any other kind of leader with interested kids, please contact him.

Also, on May 11, Lafarge’s employees started a vegetable garden at the facility on Route 329 in Cementon. They have planted several different kinds of vegetables. They also will be donating their vegetables to both food pantries. Lorraine Faccenda, plant manager, hopes other businesses will follow their lead and start a garden at their workplaces.

When your home gardens have an overabundance of vegetables, please do not let them spoil in your yard. Hungry people would love to have your vegetables. They do not have to be beautiful crops. Contact Wagner at Whitehall Food Pantry at 610-443-0503 and/or Louise Kren at the Coplay Food Pantry at 610-262-9351. The Coplay pantry serves its guests 10 a.m.-noon the second Tuesday of the month.

The Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative also has a free community meal the third Tuesday of every month. Locations change. We would love to have people show the guests who attend how to make a simple dish made from fresh vegetables. For more information on the meals and to volunteer your time, contact Janice Stavrou at 610-767-7014.