Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative’s board and Whitehall Food Pantry’s board have agreed to talk about a future merger if everything is agreeable with both parties. Second Harvest Food Bank, which provides food to both of us, is also in favor of this merger.

Whitehall’s pantry space and hours of operation are limited in its present location. WCHI’s pantry space is a temporary space provided by St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church to run our community outreach program. Our WCHI pantry is three times larger than Whitehall’s pantry. With the possible merger, we consolidate resources, people, talents, ideas, physical location and funds.

A proposed new Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative Food Pantry is at the point of now finding a rental location. Finding a new location very quickly is paramount to both boards. We need to engage the help of our community to find a new location. WCHI is looking for a first-floor rental with 2,000-plus square feet that is in the center of Whitehall and close to Coplay to serve both residents. We would like to be in the area of Eberhart Road and Columbia Street on the east side of MacArthur Road. Other sites would be taken into consideration. The location would need to be in an area where it conforms to Whitehall Township’s current zoning ordinances.

If you know of a possible rental or location, please contact me as soon as possible.

WCHI has been providing food to Whitehall Township and Coplay Borough food-insecure residents since March. The increased demand for food has come from the COVID-19 pandemic with job layoffs and business closures. We expect our numbers to start rising again in the fall.

We will probably be ending our distributions Oct. 22 for the safety of our guests and volunteers. Daylight saving time will start and both distribution locations will be totally in the dark for the evening distribution. Both our sites have been drop and go, and it also will be much colder for people to wait in line.

We have been watching the number of people served. These are the last four weeks of community outreach program’s food distribution. Understand the household people change.

WCHI has a database of more than 500 households that have come at some time to our program since March. Some come every two weeks; others came once and done; and others come several times. Below is a list of numbers of recent distributions.

July 2

Children: 180

Adults: 209

Seniors: 77

Total people: 466

Households: 131

July 16

Children: 176

Adults: 187

Seniors: 86

Total people: 449

Households: 146

Aug. 13

Children: 200

Adults: 245

Seniors: 68

Total people: 513

Households: 148

Aug. 27

Children: 205

Adults: 246

Seniors: 68

Total people: 519

Households: 147

In talking with both Whitehall and Coplay food pantries regarding residents served at their locations, both are reporting a decrease. Before COVID-19 hit, Whitehall Food Pantry served 30 to 35 households a week 6-8 p.m. every Monday. Each week, different guests are scheduled, and their food is picked up once a month. They are down to 15 to 20 households a week.

Coplay serves 24 households once a month 10 a.m.-noon the second Tuesday. Coplay now is also serving 15 to 20 households monthly. Coplay has not been in the talks to merge with WCHI, but we would welcome them joining us if they want to.

I register the Coplay residents at WCHI’s distribution and polled the 64 households that came last Thursday to see if any attended one of the food pantries. Seven attend Coplay Food Pantry, eight attend Whitehall Food Pantry and three attend both. I did not ask the registrar at our Whitehall distribution last week to ask the 83 households that attended if they go to a local food pantry.

WCHI’s mission is to alleviate hunger in Whitehall and Coplay. We have done a good job with this. I also know there are still many people who are too proud to ask for help. Please check on your family, friends and neighbors. If given an opportunity, look in their refrigerators. You would be surprised how many have very little. I had two new households at the Coplay distribution last Thursday that kept their heads down and voiced they felt badly about coming but needed food. These people were in tears. I told them not to worry, we are here to help and to come back Sept. 10. The need is strong as you can see from the program’s numbers.

Contact me ASAP if you have a new pantry location in mind for us to consider. Thank you!