Support Whitehall Lion Club Blood Drive

Shari Noctor has been a member of the Whitehall Lions Club for years.  The Co-Presidents (just temporary as joint) are Judy Ott (610-262-7598) and Cindy Polzer (484-223-5730). Both Judy and Cindy help us at the WCHI Pantry on distributions days. The Lions are planning on doing a Miller-Keystone Blood Drive at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 4331 Main St, Whitehall across from Eberhardt Motors on a Sunday in the spring from 9am-2 pm.  Miller Keystone now requires an interest of 25 people before they will schedule the blood drive.  The exact Sunday will be announced once the Lions have 25 people committed to attending.  Please call Judy or Cindy to sign up.  Exact appointment times will be available once the date is confirmed. Thank you for helping WCHI and the Lions.

Shari Noctor, President
Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative
1080 Schadt Ave
Whitehall, PA  18052
610-730-8067
[email protected]

​Whitehall Twp Jan-April 2025 Newsletter
WHITEHALL-COPLAY HUNGER INITIATIVE (WCHI):
OUR MISSION:  To alleviate food insecurity in Whitehall and Coplay

WCHI CHOICE FOOD PANTRY –WCHI is 100% Volunteers are we are all working diligently to achieve Our Mission. This article was submitted on October 26th.  We reached an all-time high guest attendance record in September by serving 1,306 guests consisting of 335 households, comprised of 477 children (a baby through age 17), 594 adults (ages 18-59) and 235 seniors (ages 60+).  This is a 23% increase compared to September 2023 when we served 1,008 guests consisting of 266 households comprised of 365 children, 428 adults, and 215 seniors.
 
We are located at St John the Baptist Church Complex, 3024 S Ruch St, Whitehall in the school building.  Our Pantry is open on both the 2nd and 3rd Thursdays of the month from 9am-1pm and from 4:30-7pm.  This is by appointment only and we close promptly at 1pm and 7pm.  We serve Whitehall and Coplay residents once a month and are helping 6 households every 10 minutes. Guests, please make sure you are at the Pantry on time.  With the high volume of people we are serving, Guests who miss their appointments will have to wait until another opening becomes available.
 
First time attendees, come to the parking lot behind the Church and a volunteer will give you directions. Please put Coplay in your GPS for the town. Our Pantry is diagonally across the street from Coplay Eatery in Coplay.  For our guests, who have mobility issues, a WCHI volunteer will shop for you and bring the food to your car in the Church parking lot.  Smoking is not permitted anywhere on Church property.
 
Requirements:  WCHI is required by PA Dept of Agriculture to register all our guests. Thank you, in advance, for your patience. This registration process does not take long. This is required for new guests, when they first come, and for all guests in July every year.  Please ALWAYS bring two forms of ID with your current address to verify residency. A valid photo ID is required and a  2nd form can be a utility bill, a paystub, or a valid lease.
 
There are income limits based on the number of people living in the household. The government updates these allowable limits at least once a year. No income paperwork is required.  Seasonal workers may obtain food when their job ends, if they qualify with the current allowable income limits.
 
New guests, please call 484-225-0358 to schedule your initial appointment.  Each month when you attend our Pantry distribution, you will be given a new appointment for your next month’s visit.
 
WCHI COMMUNITY GARDEN is located at the Mickley-Prydun Farm.  Garden Volunteers do not need clearances and are always welcome to plant, maintain, and harvest our garden, which provides fresh vegetables and herbs for our Pantry guests. For the 2024 growing season, 841 pounds of vegetables and herbs were grown and given to our Pantry guests as compared to 811 pounds in 2023. Questions, call Gwen, Garden Chair, at 610-379-6823.
 
SENIOR FOOD BOX PROGRAM (SFBP) is offered through WCHI and works to improve the health of low-income seniors (60 years old or older) by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA foods. WCHI started this State Program in November 2022. This 35-lb box of food is in addition to Pantry food. Questions, call Gail, Program Chair at 610-351-6412.
 
FREE COMMUNITY MEALS --Partnering with the Faith-Based Community and others, WCHI is proud to provide these FREE meals to low-income Whitehall-Coplay households twice a month. All are welcome to attend both meals on the 1st Sunday and 3rd Tuesday each month from 4:00-6:00pm. The host location will determine the number of meals prepared and will be served on a first come, first served basis until gone. These meals are well attended.  WCHI has a printed meal schedule, and it is also on our website.  Questions, call Karen, Program Chair, at 610-730-3184.
 
MONETARY DONATIONS are appreciated and can be made payable to Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative or WCHI and mailed to Shari Noctor, Re/Max Unlimited, 1080 Schadt Ave, Whitehall, PA  18052. The Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved Public Charity and your donation may be tax deductible.  Please discuss this with your financial advisor.   FOOD DONATIONS are always needed.  Please Call Shari at 610-730-8067 with any questions.