Keep these April dates in mind. There will be a Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative meeting 11 a.m. April 1 for anyone interesting in volunteering at the garden this year. This meeting will be at my Re/Max Unlimited Real Estate office, 1080 Schadt Ave., Whitehall.

The next free community meal is 4-6:30 p.m. April 3 at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3355 MacArthur Road, Whitehall. Meals are guaranteed for the first 100 guests.

For more information, call Judy at 610-554-3569.

Bingo is planned for April 10 at St. Peter Roman Catholic Church, 4 S. Fifth St., Coplay. Doors will open 1 p.m., and calling begins 2 p.m.

Call Liz at 484-274-6687 for additional information.

The Hunger Initiative pantry distribution dates have changed due to the religious holiday. The night distribution will be 5:30-7 p.m. April 13, and the day distribution remains set for 11 a.m.-1 p.m. April 14. The distributions are at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 3024 S. Ruch St., Whitehall.

WCHI is planning to move the outdoor pantry operations inside for the May 12 distribution, with specified appointment times. Guests attending the April 13 and 14 distributions will receive appointment cards with a time slot for the May 12 distribution. For guests not attending the April distribution, call me to schedule an appointment.

For our guests who have mobility issues, don’t worry. We will have an ordering form available for you to complete during your scheduled time in May. A WCHI volunteer will shop for you and bring the food to your car in the church parking lot.

This move indoors is very exciting. I will share more information as we get closer to the May distribution.

WCHI provides several outreach programs, including the food pantry, Snack Pack Pals in Whitehall-Coplay School District and at St. Elizabeth Regional School, the children’s summer feeding program, the WCHI vegetable garden, the free community meals and bingo. With the exception of the free community meals and bingo, the other programs require clearances for volunteers.

We need Spanish and Arabic translators to help us communicate at both our food pantry and children’s summer feeding program. No clearances are required for this specific translating service. Call me for more information.

WCHI is 100-percent volunteer, and WCHI could never do any community outreach programs without their selfless support and time. WCHI has 70 cleared volunteers, and we could use many more dedicated people. All volunteers must have state-required background clearances, plus some WCHI clearances since we come in contact with children.

For a full list of our requirements, go to tinyurl.com/WCHIforms. Register at tinyurl.com/WCHIvolunteer. Once obtained, these clearances are good for five years.

Contact Sylvia at volunteerme.Lee@gmail.com with any questions.

I thank you in advance for helping WCHI to accomplish our mission - to alleviate food insecurity in Whitehall and Coplay.