Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative has been having remarkably busy food distributions the last couple of months. We have been feeding 1,200 Whitehall and Coplay residents.

Higher rents, real estate taxes, medicines, gasoline, electric bills and food prices are contributing to people not having discretionary money to make ends meet.

WCHI is incredibly grateful we obtain the majority of our pantry food from Second Harvest Food Bank. For the 2023 calendar year, WCHI ordered and picked up 198,942 pounds of food with a value of $285,229 from Second Harvest. WCHI does not have that kind of cash on hand.

Some food WCHI purchases through Second Harvest is at a reduced grocery store cost. Overall, the balance of the cost to WCHI is minimal.

Second Harvest is not a grocery store and are down to less than 70 items to order for any given week. Second Harvest serves 200 pantries in a six-county area.

I wanted to thank all the monetary donors that graciously give to WCHI. We have residents, organizations and memorial funds mailed to us throughout the year. Our donations come as a one-time check, multiple donations a year and we even have monthly donors.

WCHI welcomes any size donation and appreciates every one of you who share your hard-earned money with us.

I also wanted to thank all the wonderful unnamed angels who drop food items off at my office and those who organize food drives for WCHI. Like monetary donations, some do food drives once, monthly or anything in between. If you have a large donation of food, please contact me on my personal cell at 610-730-8067 to arrange a time to deliver directly to our pantry.

We have three local churches who take just one food item we need, and their congregations provide that item to us monthly.

First Presbyterian Church of Hokendauqua collects pasta, St. John the Baptist Church gathers canned tuna, and St. Peter Roman Catholic Church collects cereal. Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church does a regular monthly food drive with all kinds of donated items. Diocese of Allentown Catholic Women’s Society of Giving donated food when they visited our pantry.

St. Elizabeth Regional School does a yearly Souper Bowl donation of soup. Students and families at Steckel Elementary School donated canned items. Staff at Zephyr Elementary School do multiple food drives throughout the year with multiple types of food. Whitehall-Coplay School District London Club and Scholastic Scrimmage Club does a joint cereal domino competition every year and donates the cereal.

Other organizations also help WCHI including Girl Scout Troop 6011, Taylor Villas and Whitehall Lions Club. Food is also donated from participants attending the WCHI bingos and local businesses.

The Knights of Columbus Council 1091 from St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Orefield, comprised of members from Parkland School District and WCSD, recently held a cornhole tournament. Food was donated and proceeds were divided between WCHI and Parkland Cares.

The food dropped at my office or arrangements made to deliver to our WCHI pantry for 2024 totaled 7,615 pounds.

Needed food items include boxes of oatmeal, boxed potatoes, canned fruit with low sugar or in fruit juice, canned tuna, canned vegetables including canned corn and canned peas, cereal, condiments, macaroni and cheese, pancake mix and syrup, pasta, peanut butter, canned ravioli, Spaghettios, rice, soups and spaghetti sauce.

All items can be store brands. No glass items. Refrigerated, frozen, perishable or homemade items will not be accepted for food safety liability reasons.

All monetary donations - made payable to WCHI - and food donations are appreciated and may be mailed, shipped or dropped off at my Re/Max Unlimited Real Estate office, 1080 Schadt Ave., Whitehall, 18052. Leave food donations inside the foyer on the right 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Thank you all, and have a great week!