Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative’s next free community meal will be 4-6 p.m. Feb. 5 at St. Peter Roman Catholic Church, 4 S. Fifth St., Coplay. This meal is for dine-in only and guaranteed for the first 100 guests.

Call 610-262-2417 with any questions.

The last extra payment for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients will be sent this month. SNAP was previously known as food stamps.

SNAP has a maximum monthly amount based on the household size, and the money can only be used for food purchases. For example, a household of one may receive up to a maximum of $281 a month. Divide that by 31 days, and this comes out to $9.06 a day. A household of four has a maximum payment of up to $938, or $7.56 a day per person, and a household of eight is $1,691, or $6.82 per person.

WCHI and all food pantries are expecting rising new guest registrations to occur for the next several months due to reduced SNAP income starting in March and the continued increases in food and gas prices. We also expect to have guests return who have not been attending on a regular basis.

WCHI is currently feeding close to 1,000 people a month. WCHI and many other agencies are making a difference in people’s lives.

The new SNAP 2022-23 monthly income guidelines to qualify vary by household size. For example, a one-person household monthly income max is $2,266, and a four-person monthly household income max is $4,626.

To see if you qualify for SNAP benefits and to apply over the phone, contact Second Harvest Food Bank at 484-821-2406.

Below is from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website - tinyurl.com/4uunn3ak.

SNAP emergency allotments are an additional SNAP payment that has been paid during the second half of each month since the pandemic started in 2020. These payments were authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Starting in March, SNAP households will only receive their regular SNAP payment.

SNAP recipients who are pregnant or have kids under 5 may be able to get help buying food from PA WIC. You can call 1-800-WIC-WINS or apply online at pawic.com.

Beyond local charitable food programs like community food pantries, there are two food assistance programs specifically in place to help seniors access fresh, nutritious foods. The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program provides eligible seniors with vouchers redeemable at more than 800 farm stands and more than 200 farmers markets in Pennsylvania.

The Senior Food Box Program can also provide eligible seniors with additional shelf-stable groceries.

WCHI does provide senior boxes. Call Gail at 484-951-8447 for more information.

When is the final extra payment? February will be the last month emergency allotments are sent, and SNAP households will only receive one regular SNAP payment starting in March. This change will happen automatically for all SNAP recipients.

Why are the emergency allotments ending? Emergency allotments are ending due to passage of the recent federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.

I have extra SNAP funds on my card. Will they expire after February? Any unspent SNAP funds roll over each month. As long as you use your EBT card regularly, your SNAP benefits will not expire. SNAP benefits only expire if you do not use your card for nine months.

How will I know if my SNAP payment is changing? This extra payment is ending for all SNAP households in March. All recipients will receive a notice via mail about the change in SNAP payments and resources available if they need help because of this change.

I hope you found this information helpful. Have a great week!