I am a member on the food access committee with Lehigh Valley Food Policy. This data is a hunger snapshot report, as of November, put out by our food access work group. I have permission to share this information with you from last week’s meeting.

Food-insecurity and food-access needs have dropped from the highs of the early pandemic but continue to fluctuate above pre-pandemic levels. COVID-19 resurgence, along with the onset of colder weather, is bringing back difficulties for pantry attendance.

According to Feeding America, for COVID-19 estimates, approximately 123,000 residents in the Lehigh Valley face food insecurity on a continuing basis. Among food-insecure residents, only a fraction use the food pantry system. Unfortunately, only 4 percent of food-insecure Lehigh Valley residents use a food pantry, according to a recent USDA report.

Participation in child nutrition programs continues to be challenging. With schools in session in varying formats of entirely virtual, hybrid and in person, fall participation in school meals is running about 25 percent, slightly better than the summer. Lehigh Valley numbers reflect the state numbers and appear to be increasing. Our work group continues to support and encourage participation in child nutrition programs.

Senior nutrition programs continue, with some waiting lists, shortages of volunteers and lack of funding to the Area Agency on Aging. Our work group is advocating for a senior directed response in a new round of assistance for this most vulnerable part of our population.

Extra unemployment payments provided extra income, but they also ended in July. Unemployment in the Lehigh Valley was at a low of 4.8 percent in August of 2019. It reached a high of 16.5 percent in April, dropped, then went up again to 14.2 percent in June and has since dropped to 10.3 percent, in line with the rest of the state. For those who went on unemployment at the beginning of the pandemic and are still unemployed, Pennsylvania’s extended unemployment payments will end mid-December.

Although a federal eviction moratorium exists through Dec. 31, there are several requirements tenants must fulfill before they can qualify for eviction protection through the moratorium. The state protection from evictions and halting foreclosures ended Aug. 30.

Farm-to-family food boxes ended Nov. 1 in all practical terms; although, a limited number are arriving in opportunity zones through December.

As you could see in my column published Nov. 19, Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative is working very hard to open our new food pantry at St. John the Baptist Church, Stiles, in January 2021. We know the need for food is very strong. Food-insecure residents started calling me last week and are looking forward to our pantry opening very soon.