Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative is extremely excited to provide our second children’s summer feeding program for the summer season.

This program is strictly for the household children of low-income Whitehall Township and Coplay Borough residents.

The program will provide a bag of food for each child in the household attending the program 10-11 a.m. every Monday and Wednesday starting June 15 and ending Aug. 24 at a distribution location closest to the family’s home.

Locations include Redeemed Christian Church of God, 5 N. Third St., Coplay; Maryland Circle Apartments, 1 Maryland Circle, Whitehall; Mickley Run Apartments, Whitehall, parking lot closest to the 350 building off Overlook Road; and St. John’s Lutheran Church, 835 N. Third St., Whitehall.

Register at the site closest to your home. Registration occurs throughout the summer.

Once registered, the children or parent may pick up the food, and the household will be checked off on our forms that they received food each day they attend.

If the parent or guardian cannot make the 10-11 a.m. Monday and Wednesday food distributions or you do not live close to one of the four locations, WCHI will accommodate you by both registering and providing food at our pantry, 3024 S. Ruch St., Whitehall, in the parking lot by our shed, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday evenings throughout the 11-week program.

This pantry location also opens June 15 and closes 7 p.m. promptly.

WCHI’s children’s summer feeding program is made possible from a federal Community Development Block Grant - CARES Act Program. An application was submitted to Lehigh County and approved by the Lehigh County commissioners.

A huge thank you is extended to everyone involved with making this grant approval happen for WCHI. We help feed so many children over the summer!

Since this is a federally funded program; there are federal income-limit requirements for registration. To register, a valid driver’s license or current utility bill is required showing you live in Whitehall or Coplay. The parent or guardian must register the children.

Based on the household size, the government form has income limits. No proof of income is required, but by signing the form, the parent or guardian verifies they are at or below the stated income limits based on their household size.

This year’s program highlights include providing shelf-stable food for five breakfasts and five lunches. This will be a drop-and-go food distribution. On Monday, every child will receive shelf-stable food for a breakfast and a lunch for Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, every child will receive shelf-stable food for a breakfast and lunch for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

WCHI will also provide the children with free books all summer, Christmas in July presents and free filled backpacks for school in August.

The presents are provided by Stephen Parrish of Edward Jones Investments, Whitehall, and donations received from his clients. The backpacks are provided by Muslim Association of the Lehigh Valley.

Attendance is required throughout the summer to receive the food, books, presents and backpacks.

Call Sue Butchinski, children’s summer feeding program chair, at 484-767-6022 with any questions.

Have a great week!