I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to a number of wonderful organizations and people who helped Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative recently.

Knights of Columbus Council 4050, which covers Whitehall, Coplay, Northampton and Catasauqua, and Council 10921 introduced their first joint cornhole charity tournament May 18 at Egypt Memorial Park, 4548 Main St. This event was a huge success, and 48 teams participated.

The two councils split their proceeds. Council 4050 presented a $3,400 check to WCHI to be used for pantry food. Council 4050 also has several members who regularly volunteer with WCHI, including Gary Buschta, Bob Falkenstein, Tom Ganser and John Halko.

The other organization benefiting from the event was Parkland Cares, which also works to combat food insecurity.

Anna Daumer, Whitehall Wawa store manager, has helped WCHI for many years. She provides bags for the refrigerated and frozen food items our guests select.

Whitehall Wawa is also doing a free community meal for WCHI 4-5:30 p.m. Aug. 20 in the social hall behind our pantry.

The store managers of the Lehigh Valley region, under area manager Cody Lilly, volunteered June 13 and 20 and helped our guests select the food items they will eat in our pantry, restocked our food shelves and helped put the food in our guest’s cars. WCHI greatly appreciated and needed their help during both evening food distributions this month.

The store managers were from Union Boulevard and South Fourth and Gordon streets in Allentown; Broadway in Fountain Hill; Schoenersville Road in Bethlehem; and Hamburg.

We greatly appreciate everything Wawa does for WCHI.

We have three local Whitehall churches who do monthly collections of specific items for WCHI. First Presbyterian Church of Hokendauqua collects pasta; St. John the Baptist Church collects canned tuna; and St. Peter Roman Catholic Church collects cereal.

Additionally, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church does a regular monthly food drive with all kinds of donated items. The Taylor Villas subdivision also does food drives for us.

We can always use more cereal, any kind of pasta, spaghetti sauce in plastic jars and peanut butter. Would your business, subdivision, service club or social club like to collect a specific item for our pantry or do a food drive for WCHI?

I also would like to once again thank all the angels that provide food and monetary donations that are dropped or mailed to my RE/MAX Unlimited office, 1080 Schadt Ave., Whitehall.

If mailing a check, make it payable to WCHI. WCHI is a 501(c)3 public charity. Your monetary donation may be tax deductible, so check with your financial adviser.

WCHI has been feeding more than 300 Whitehall and Coplay households, including 1,200 people monthly. We are 100% volunteer based and really need more cleared volunteers to help us with the increase in pantry attendance. Contact volunteer.lee@gmail.com for the pantry.

We also need help at our pantry garden. Gwen and her team have planted many vegetables and herbs that are given to our pantry guests. Contact Gwen at 610-379-6823.

School community service hours are also available over the summer and during the school year at both our pantry and garden.

Thank you everyone, and have a great week!