Second Harvest Food Bank provides Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative with most of the food we serve our pantry guests.

Second Harvest provided WCHI with 107,126 pounds of food, including dry and canned goods, refrigerator and freezer items and fresh produce Jan. 1-Sept. 24.

Unfortunately, there have been many supply chain issues, and food prices continue to rise. Second Harvest is not a grocery store. Its inventory changes, and we don’t always have the items we would like to give our guests.

The rest of our pantry food comes from the public’s generous monetary and food donations. Local faith-based organizations, school clubs and businesses host food drives for us. Go to tinyurl.com/WCHIdrive to learn how to hold a drive.

I am asking everyone to please continue providing WCHI with your support.

The WCHI pantry is currently in need of several types of dry pasta, except for elbow macaroni; canned pasta, such as Chef Boyardee, Beefaroni and ravioli; Hamburger Helper; boxes of macaroni and cheese; bags and boxes of rice; plain or flavored rice or pasta sides, such as Knorr pasta or rice packets; canned or plastic jars of tomato/spaghetti sauce; canned soups other than cream of mushroom, cream of chicken and vegetable; any kind of canned beans, such as black, Lima, lentils, chickpeas, kidney, string beans, etc.; condiments, such as ketchup, mustard or relish; boxes of cereal; pancake mix and syrup; boxes of oatmeal packets; and ground coffee.

We are also starting to collect food items for Thanksgiving, including Stove Top stuffing, boxed mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. The food items can be store brands.

All donations are appreciated. Food may be shipped to or dropped off at Re/Max Unlimited Real Estate, 1080 Schadt Ave., Whitehall. Donations can be left inside the foyer on the right side 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays. Checks, made payable to Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative, can be mailed to the address above.

I like to support Second Harvest, as it supports WCHI. Second Harvest Food Bank is planning its annual Empty Bowls fundraiser 6-9 p.m. Oct. 22 in Second Harvest’s food warehouse, 6969 Silver Crest Road, Nazareth.

Empty Bowls gives community members the opportunity to enjoy a night out while experiencing the magnitude of its warehouse and learning about the critical work volunteers do to feed families.

The night starts with a reception 6 p.m., with open bar and hors d’oeuvres; followed by dinner 7:30 p.m., catered by Sodexo; and an award presentation 7:45 p.m.

This year’s goal is to raise $100,000 to aid in the fight to end food insecurity in the communities Second Harvest serves. It’s the biggest fundraiser of the year for the organization. Empty Bowls features live music, delectable food, a silent and live auction and the opportunity to support Second Harvest’s work.

There are sponsorship opportunities available. If interested, contact Nicole Folino at 484-821-2401 or nfolino@caclv.org. Sponsorships come with ticket entry to the event, or tickets may be purchased separately at tinyurl.com/45bnw3au.

Second Harvest works to end food insecurity by providing nutritious food to its community, offering nutrition education, advocating to end food insecurity, dismantling barriers to create access and working to attain food justice. Second Harvest distributes food to six counties across Pennsylvania: Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne.

Second Harvest is a proud program of Community Action Lehigh Valley.

Thank you, and have a great week!