Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative has an exceptionally good working relationship with Kim Slack, nutrition educator for Second Harvest Food Bank. WCHI board members Gwen Herzog, who manages the garden, and Jenn Dietz, who oversees WCHI Healthy Pantry Initiative, both work closely with Slack.

Slack will be offering five different gardening classes once a month from June through October. These one-hour classes are free. They will all be held 2-3 p.m. at Community Bike Works, 614 S. Carlisle St., East Allentown.

Tell your family, friends and neighbors about these gardening classes. You can even carpool!

During each class, you will learn gardening tips that will help you have your own successful garden, whether it is just a few pots or on a large plot of land. Slack will cover things like what and where to plant, dealing with pests, overwintering your garden and more.

Attendees will also enjoy a healthy food sample made from produce that is in season and share recipes.

The five gardening classes are offered either the first or second Thursday of the month. The first class - Gardening 101 - begins June 6.

Additional classes include What’s Growing, July 11; Who’s Buggin’ You, Aug. 8; Savor the Flavor, Sept. 5; and Putting the Garden to Bed, Oct. 10.

Slack will share great information for gardening, whether you live in an apartment or have a large yard. To join one or more gardening classes, call or text Slack at 484-781-1665.

Slack is a registered dietitian and emphasizes small changes over time can lead to healthier habits. People often stick to familiar routines and dietary choices, even if they know healthier options exist.

To address this, Slack recommended Dietz place more nutritious items at eye level in our pantry. She also suggested prioritizing fruits and vegetables to encourage healthier choices. These are our first two racks in the pantry.

Our guests choose the foods they will eat from several food types. Our pantry guests love the variety of food products we have made available to them.

Our WCHI pantry is not a grocery store and is strictly for low-income residents. The WCHI pantry team provides as much healthy food items as we can obtain from Second Harvest, grants and our wonderful Whitehall and Coplay residents’ food and monetary donations. Our pantry would not exist without your generosity and support.

Slack collaborates closely with WCHI and Second Harvest. Together, we offer food tastings, recipes and educational resources during pantry distributions. We also offer 10-pound fresh produce boxes through Second Harvest.

Herzog and her garden team will soon be growing wonderful vegetables and herbs in the garden. All of the garden bounty is provided to our pantry guests when harvested.

Thank you, and have a great week!