This article is to ask for food donations for Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative Food Pantry distributions Nov. 14 and 21 and Dec. 12 and 19 for the holidays. Would you be able to help us? Can you do a food drive?

WCHI is 100% volunteer based. We are all working diligently to achieve our mission to alleviate food insecurity in Whitehall Township and Coplay Borough. We reached an all-time-high guest attendance record in September by serving 1,306 guests, consisting of 335 households and comprised of 477 children, 594 adults and 235 seniors.

This is a 23% increase compared to September 2023 when we served 1,008 guests, consisting of 266 households and comprised of 365 children, 428 adults and 215 seniors.

WCHI provides basic food to prepare three meals a day for five days. We have several different types of food racks. The number of items our guests receive are based on their household size and the food rack they choose from.

For example, since protein, like tuna fish, canned chicken and all canned beans, is a main healthy food item, we give a lot. A household of one to three people can choose up to five cans; four to six people get nine cans; seven to nine people get 15 cans; 10-12 people get 19 cans; and 13 or more people get 25 cans. This seems like a lot, but it is two cans per person.

For canned fruits and vegetables, one to three people get two cans; four to six people get four cans; seven to nine people get six cans; 10-12 people get eight cans; and 13 or more get 10 cans.

You can see how feeding 1,300-plus people adds up to a lot of food. WCHI is happy to provide the basic need of food to our guests.

Though we do order 5,000-6,500 pounds of food from Second Harvest Food Bank weekly, it is a warehouse and not a grocery store. This seems like a lot of food, but it doesn’t fill our shelves for our monthly food distributions.

Second Harvest also does not always have items we can use in our pantry.

WCHI needs to supplement the Second Harvest food. We have funds we allocate monthly to purchase needed food items from local grocery stores. These food purchases are thanks to many grants and generous public donations at large.

I write for grants and am very thankful WCHI receives food grants from Lehigh County, thanks to a federal Community Development Block Grant approved by the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners; a Trexler Trust Grant from the Trexler Trustees; and a Poverty Relief Grant from the Catholic Diocese of Allentown.

WCHI is very appreciative of these grants and the generous food and monetary donations given by the public. WCHI cannot serve all the people it does without your generous donations and support. Thank you!

These are the food items we currently need: boxes of oatmeal, boxed potatoes, cake mixes, canned fruit with low sugar or light fruit syrup, canned corn and peas, canned sweet potatoes, canned tuna, canned vegetables, cereal, condiments, corn muffin mix, cranberry sauce, gravy, macaroni and cheese, pancake mix and syrup, pasta of all kinds, peanut butter, ready-to-eat items like canned ravioli and SpaghettiOs, brown or white rice, spaghetti sauce, Stovetop stuffing mix and soups including creamed, chicken noodle, tomato and vegetable. All food items above can be store brands.

Food can be dropped off 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at my Re/Max Unlimited office, 1080 Schadt Ave, Whitehall, 18052. Checks can be dropped off at the front desk in an envelope addressed to me and payable to Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative or mailed to me.

WCHI cannot fulfill our mission without you. WCHI and our guests thank all of you.

Have a great week!