Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative had a sunny and warm day March 10 for our pantry food distribution. We all were so glad it snowed and rained the day before. We provided our guests with food and toiletries nonstop for both the morning and the evening distributions.

WCHI is very happy to be helping many households during these tough times. Our guests are all on fixed incomes, and these escalating commodity prices are reducing money left for food, gas, medicine, rent, property taxes and car/property insurance.

Both WCHI and our guests are thrilled we have a pantry to help our low-income residents. Thank you, Monsignor Gobitas, St. John the Baptist Church and the Diocese of Allentown.

At the March 10 distribution, WCHI served 241 households comprised of 884 residents - 369 children, 375 adults and 140 seniors. The morning distribution had 179 households, and the evening distribution had 62 households. We also registered 31 new households.

Several times a year, I like to share our opening day data as a comparison. When we first opened Jan. 11, 2021, we served and registered 91 households, including 308 residents, 113 children, 141 adults and 54 seniors. We have come a long way and are so grateful we can help many residents in need. They all are very appreciative.

We could never help these residents without our wonderful, dedicated volunteers of all ages. WCHI needs more volunteers to help us with all of our programs, including, but not limited to, our food pantry, garden at Mickley-Prydun Farm, children’s summer feeding program, Mickley Run Apartments outreach and our Snack Pack Pals program at both Whitehall-Coplay School District and at St. Elizabeth Regional School.

We have day and evening opportunities available year-round. We have volunteers who help with all our programs and others who only work with certain ones. If you can volunteer, we would greatly appreciate it.

WCHI requires several clearances, which are not hard to complete. Most of them can be completed online and at your own pace. You will need a computer with internet access. Whitehall and Coplay libraries have computers you can use.

There are additional clearances if you are a Catholic parishioner since our pantry is located on church property, whether you volunteer at our pantry or at one of our off-site programs. Once you have adult clearances, they are good for five years. And there are minimal clearances required if you are a student aged 12-17 years old.

Our bimonthly free community meal requirements, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the host meal site. None of the WCHI requirements pertain to our community meal program. Review our required clearances at tinyurl.com/WCHIforms.

Sign up at tinyurl.com/WCHIvolunteer, so we know you are interested in becoming a WCHI volunteer. Once our volunteer coordinator, Sylvia Lee, receives all your clearances, she will place you our volunteer opportunity schedule. If you have questions about volunteering, email Lee at volunteerme.Lee@gmail.com.

WCHI needs toiletry items for our pantry guests, which include baby and adult diapers, feminine products, shampoo and conditioner, men’s and women’s razors and men’s shaving cream.

All donations are appreciated and may be shipped or dropped off at Re/Max Unlimited Real Estate, 1080 Schadt Ave., Whitehall, 18052.

Leave any donations inside the foyer on the right 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays.

We do appreciate donated food items. However, donated refrigerated, frozen, perishable or homemade items will not be accepted due to food safety liability reasons.