Why should your organization plan a food drive to provide additional food for our Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative pantry?

Food drives help WCHI by providing food items we need and know our guests will select off our shelves and eat, raising awareness about food insecurity in Whitehall and Coplay and building a stronger bond in the community through collective action. Many of these drives came from friends and co-workers discussing the food insecurity need in our area and decided to work together.

Food drives also give WCHI the flexibility, as needed, to distribute the donated items for this month’s food distribution or to store the received items for next month’s distribution.

I wanted to acknowledge and thank the following businesses, churches, community organizations and schools that have hosted food drives for WCHI in 2024. Note some of these donors are located outside of the Whitehall and Coplay area, but the person hosting the drive lives in our community and coordinated the drive. You, the reader, can do the same.

The donors are listed in alphabetical order and are in Whitehall, except otherwise noted: Diocese of Allentown, Catholic Women’s Society of Giving; First Presbyterian Church of Hokendauqua; Girl Scout Troop 6011; Good Shepherd Catholic School, Northampton; Hokendauqua Pool; London Club and Scholastic Scrimmage at Whitehall High School; Minsi Trails Council; Smart Warehousing; Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church; St. Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Church and its St. Elizabeth Regional School; St. John the Baptist Church; St. Peter Roman Catholic Church; Steckel Elementary School; Shoemaker Elementary School, Macungie; Stepping Stones Learning Center, The Learning Tree; Taylor Villas Subdivision; The Goddard School of Center Valley; Whitehall High School Science National Honor Society; Whitehall Lions Club; Whitehall Wawa; WCHI bingo patrons; WIC; and Zephyr Elementary School.

These are the food items we currently need: boxes of oatmeal, boxed potatoes, cake mixes, canned fruit (low sugar or light fruit syrup), canned corn and peas, canned sweet potatoes, canned tuna, canned vegetables, cereal, condiments (mayo, ketchup, mustard), corn muffin mix, cranberry sauce, gravy, macaroni and cheese, pancake mix and syrup, pasta, peanut butter, ready-to-eat items (canned ravioli, SpaghettiOs), 1-pound rice bags (brown or white), soups (creamed, chicken noodle, tomato, vegetable, etc.), spaghetti sauce and Stovetop stuffing mix.

All food items can be store brands.

We also are fortunate to have many unknown “angels” who deliver food items to my Re/Max Unlimited office foyer 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Monetary donations are also appreciated. Checks can be dropped off in an envelope addressed to me and payable to Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative or WCHI or can mailed to me at Re/Max Unlimited, 1080 Schadt Ave., Whitehall, 18052.

Thank you all for your kindness and generosity, but more importantly thank you for helping your Whitehall and Coplay food-insecure neighbors.

Have a wonderful holiday season!