I am thrilled Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative has been achieving our mission to alleviate food insecurity in Whitehall Township and Coplay Borough.

When we opened our pantry in January 2021, we were doing outside distributions. That month, WCHI registered 91 households and served 308 people consisting of 113 children, 141 adults and 54 seniors.

Since December 2023, we have been feeding a minimum of 1,100 Whitehall and Coplay residents a month - December: 1,128; January: 1,112; February: 1,169; and March: 1,122. April should be similar.

February was the highest attended month so far. WCHI served 299 households, including 17 new households. WCHI provided food for 1,169 people consisting of 413 children, 516 adults and 240 seniors.

Not every registered household comes every month due to sickness and work schedule conflicts. Others move out of the area, some people no longer need our support, and, unfortunately, some pass away.

Though the economy is strong in some areas, food insecurity is unfortunately still on the rise. Higher food and gas prices, increased rents and real estate taxes and a myriad of other reasons all contribute to this insecurity. Many people are on fixed incomes and must decide between food and medicines or food and utility or other bills. Some residents are working two and three jobs and still cannot afford food to feed themselves or their household for a month.

WCHI’s pantry attendance is by appointment only. The pantry’s hours are 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4:30-7 p.m. the second and third Thursdays of the month. Our guests can only come once a month.

Proof of residency in Whitehall or Coplay, along with a picture ID, is required. Income limits do apply and are based on household size.

Our pantry provides many food types, such as canned fruit, vegetables, protein, cereal, rice and pasta, ready-to-eat food, snacks, condiments, baby food, juices, fresh produce, cheese, milk, eggs, frozen meat, fish, fruit, toilet paper, tissues, feminine pads and baby and adult diapers.

These items can vary monthly, and some items are not always available. The amount of food and toiletry items provided are based on the household size.

WCHI is 100% volunteer based. We are extremely fortunate to have kind, wonderful, caring volunteers who love to help our guests and community. We all work together, are very friendly and are like a huge family.

Our guests love to come to our pantry. They tell us all the time they are so grateful we are here to help them, and they really like our volunteers. We provide a wonderful environment and experience for our guests.

Based on our guest feedback and growth, WCHI knows we are making a positive impact in our community.

With the huge increase in our pantry attendance, WCHI desperately needs more cleared volunteers, especially for the evening hours. Consider completing the required state clearances. Many items are read and sign. Background checks and fingerprinting are required.

The only cost is $15 for fingerprinting, and WCHI reimburses with a paid receipt. Once complete, the clearances are good for five years.

Members of the volunteer committee are happy to help you attain your clearances. You can look on our website, whitehallcoplayhungerinitiative.org, and go to the volunteer tab to sign up and look at the required clearances.

WCHI can provide access to the computers in our pantry for those who do not own a computer. Contact Sylvia, volunteer coordinator, at volunteerme.Lee@gmail.com or call 484-225-0358.

Thank you, and have a great week!