In the Whitehall and Coplay communities, we are fortunate to have food pantries available to provide food to help those in need. Whenever I mention to someone that I am a pantry volunteer, I am usually asked where that food comes from.

Part of the answer is simply from individuals who support the mission of feeding those in need and who make donations of money or nonperishable foods for us to pass on to those who ask for help.

The food we provide at Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative Food Pantry is also possible because of a network of much larger organizations that coordinate with corporate donors, grocery stores and other groups and individuals who support the mission of feeding those in need.

Feeding America is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Feeding America is a nonprofit, nationwide network consisting of 200 food banks across the country. Nationally, they help to feed more than 46 million people.

Feeding Pennsylvania is the statewide association of nine Feeding America-affiliated food banks. Network food banks throughout Feeding Pennsylvania, such as Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania, collect, store and distribute food to local pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other community-based agencies.

Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative is one of those local pantries. We distribute food to our community two days of every month.

Poverty is a complex issue, and hunger is one part of it. It is amazing to learn how much is being done on many levels to create awareness and assistance to work toward providing for those who need help.

In addition to food distribution, the work of Feeding America also includes working with lawmakers to make it easier for people to get food by expanding access to food assistance programs, advocating for policies that improve food security for everyone and partnering with organizations to address the root causes of food insecurity, like the high cost of living and lack of access to affordable housing.

Through the efforts of the food bank networks mentioned above, there are teams of people who work with the food industry to rescue food that would otherwise go to waste. They work with farmers, manufacturers, retailers and government agencies to save unwanted food from landfills and move donated grocery items to where it is needed most.

To discourage food industry waste, Second Harvest seeks donations of unsaleable, but edible, products from local companies. At WCHI, we receive thousands of pounds of food from Second Harvest almost weekly. The warehouse offers foods that are received from many sources, including grocery stores, dairies and local Pennsylvania farms. The list of available items changes almost daily, and we do the best we can to offer a variety of healthy food choices for our neighbors who become guests at our pantry.

How can we afford all this food? In 1983, Pennsylvania created a line item on the state’s budget that provided grants to counties for the purchase of food. Today, the State Food Purchase Program is an important resource for our emergency food network.

At the same time, the federal government began distributing “surplus commodities,” notably cheese and butter, which the federal government bought as part of its dairy price stabilization program. The resulting program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, is a major source of a wide variety of commodities purchased by the federal government for distribution through the emergency food network.

We are also fortunate to have applied for and received several grants to allow WCHI to purchase food and toiletries when supplies at the food bank are low or when we are unable to get certain items from Second Harvest.

As a pantry that has been designated as a part of the Healthy Pantry Initiative, our goal is to increase access to healthy foods for our guests and provide nutrition education and recipes. Guests with health issues are able to make healthy choices in their food selections.

We appreciate donations of food provided to us from organizations and individuals who want to share with others. There are some kitchen staples that are always needed. We frequently ask for help from local groups and individuals to keep our shelves stocked with cereal and oats, rice and pasta, spaghetti sauce, canned tuna and chicken and soup.

Food is a basic need many are struggling to meet. For anyone in need who may be feeling alone, you can be assured there are many people in similar situations seeking help, and there are many working to help get you through it.

With a lot of cooperation and assistance from local, state and federal agencies that are all striving to help our neighbors to feed their families, our mission is to alleviate food insecurity in our community. It’s a great challenge, but one that we are proud to take on along with this great network of support.

The above information was obtained from shfblv.org, feedingpa.org and feedingamerica.org.

Editor’s note: This column was written by Jenn Dietz.