Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative will start the children’s summer feeding program planning meetings 11 a.m. Jan. 25 at the pantry, located in the school building at St. John the Baptist Church, 3024 S. Ruch St., Whitehall. Park in the back parking lot, walk down the driveway to the right of the school and come in the first door on the left.

This meeting is open to the public, and we can always use more volunteers. All WCHI volunteers need clearances. Check out tinyurl.com/WCHIforms. Call me with questions.

Wow, a whole year has gone by since we opened our food pantry! We had a great attendance at our Jan. 13 pantry distribution. Our guests are always grateful for the food and toiletries. We had the warmest day of the week, and we were all thankful we did not have snow!

We served 177 households Jan. 13, comprised of 639 residents - 266 children, 281 adults and 92 seniors. We also registered 41 new households. The car attendance lines are always nonstop.

When we first opened Jan. 11, 2021, we served and registered 91 households, comprised of 113 children, 141 adults and 54 seniors.

WCHI registered 500 households during the last year, and some guests come every month. Due to COVID-19, some people were laid off and now have returned to work; some have two jobs and a family member or neighbor picks food up for them. Many seniors, unfortunately, have to choose to pay for medicine or pay for food. And gas prices are not helping these households. There are many reasons why people need food. We understand the hardships and know their reasons for coming. I am glad we can help so many people!

A couple times a year, I write about being kind to others. A simple smile, holding a door open for someone or calling someone just to say hello uplifts the human spirit and makes their day.

WCHI has been blessed with fantastic volunteers, great monetary and food/toiletry donors and a very compassionate community who work together to help us achieve our mission - to alleviate food insecurity in Whitehall and Coplay. My quote is always “Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative is making a difference in people’s lives,” and we truly are doing this.

Our community is helping our community. Everyone involved with our programs has been kind to others and has been touched in one way or another. Volunteers give their time and talents, donors give their treasures and our guests give us smiles, tears and thankfulness that people truly care about them.

Everyone needs help in their lives at one time or another. Thank you, all, for your part in community helping our community.

The following quote, by Margaret Mead, is my favorite quote by far: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Here are three others I like:

“Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.” - Jackie Chan

“You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Because that’s what kindness is. It’s not doing something for someone else because they can’t, but because you can.” - Andrew Iskander

Have a great week, and be kind to others!