Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative knows children rely on the free and reduced-rate breakfast and lunches served at the school.

Childhood hunger is not only in the big cities nationwide, it is throughout the entire Lehigh Valley, including the affluent school districts of Parkland and East Penn and right here in Whitehall and Coplay.

There are 2,070 students in Whitehall-Coplay School District enrolled in the breakfast and lunch program. Many of these parents are working two jobs to make ends meet, while others are just returning to work due to work layoffs attributed to COVID-19.

Please note I have provided many families emergency food because they were laid off from their jobs due to pandemic shutdowns.

WCHI opened our children’s summer feeding program June 16. We have posted signs in the neighborhoods of all six areas where we are offering our program.

The program will run 10-11 a.m. every Monday and Wednesday through Aug. 25. WCHI is not committing to July 5 until we know we have enough volunteers.

Our goal is to feed a minimum of 500 children living in Whitehall and Coplay.

WCHI has received a $35,000 Cares Act grant through Lehigh County to provide food, marketing and needed supplies to run this program. A big thank you to all the Lehigh County commissioners for approving our grant request.

As with all summer feeding programs, we always start out slow when school ends and build momentum as time goes on. We expect to surpass our goal this summer.

Remind your family, friends and neighbors about us. We will help the parent/guardian fill out the necessary paperwork, which has required household income limits and takes three minutes to complete. No records are required for income.

After the initial registration, nothing is required except to pick up the food. Each child receives his or her own bag of food. We provide baby food, too. Bag items may vary and are available while supplies last.

Our June 16 bag included a full-size box of cereal, three small shelf-stable milk boxes, a can of Chef Boyardee, a small can of tuna fish, a box of fruit packs and a Chewy granola bar.

The June 21 bag included a juice box, a can of chicken chili or beef stew, two small milk boxes, pancake mix, a Nutrigrain bar, a six-pack of raisins and a small individual bag of cookies.

The June 23 bag included three small milk boxes, a can of vegetable soup, a small box of macaroni and cheese, a can of applesauce, snack chips and small sandwich-style crackers.

The summer feeding program locations are Redeemed Christian Church of God, 5 N. Third St., Coplay; the Maryland Circle school bus stop, Whitehall; the Mickley Run Apartments parking lot by building 350 off Overlook Road, Whitehall; Egypt Community Church social hall parking lot, Park and Church streets, Whitehall; St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 835 N. Third St., Whitehall; and the Third and Leisenring streets school bus stop, Whitehall.

If you have any questions, call/text 610-730-8067 or 484-225-0358.

Thank you for sharing this information.

Have a great week.