Our Programs
THANK YOU!! A huge shout out and thank you goes to all our fabulous volunteers, our monetary and food donors, Second Harvest Food Bank, Diocese of Allentown and St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Lehigh County Commissioners for approving CDBG grants, Whitehall Township and Coplay Borough, Hokey Fire Department and Fire Hall members and volunteers, WCSD, and all the Whitehall-Coplay and Catholic School clubs and Lehigh Valley businesses that do food and toiletry drives for us. We could not do our programs without your support. We are so blessed to have such a great group of interested and dedicated people all working together to help our community.
WCHI Choice Pantry
We are located at St John the Baptist Church, 3024 S Ruch St, Whitehall. Our Pantry is open on both the 2nd and 3rd Thursday of the month from 9:30am-1pm and from 4:30-7pm. This is by appointment only and we close promptly at 1pm and 7pm. Whitehall and Coplay residents can only visit once a month. First time attendees, come to the parking lot behind the Church and a volunteer will give your directions.
For our guests, who have mobility issues, don’t worry. We will have an ordering form available for you to complete during your scheduled time. A WCHI volunteer will shop for you and bring the food to your car in the Church parking lot.
Requirements: We serve Whitehall and Coplay Boro residents. Please present a valid photo ID and/or utility bill to verify residency. Income limits apply per the household size. No income paperwork is required. No smoking is permitted.
WCHI is proud that Second Harvest Food Bank selected us to be one of three Healthy Food Pantry Initiatives in Lehigh County, which offers healthier low fat and low salt products, when possible. After we register our guests, a volunteer takes them shopping though our Choice Pantry. Our guests select the food items that they will eat and choose from several food types: canned fruit and vegetables, grains, ready to eat food, snacks, coffee/beverages, condiments, refrigerated and frozen foods, and toiletries. We also try to provide fresh produce, when available. Our guests have told us that they really like our “choice pantry” compared to our prior outside pre-bagged food items they received through April 2022.
Please go to https://tinyurl.com/WCHIPantryList to donate needed food items. These items can also be dropped or shipped to Shari Noctor at my Re/Max Unlimited office, 1080 Schadt Ave, Whitehall PA 18052
Just to give you data on the guests we have helped throughout the year (our numbers do change monthly), in January 2022 we served 230 households comprised of 366 adults, 364 children, and 110 seniors for a total of 840 people. We strive to provide food to make 5 meals per person, which totaled 4,200 meals. In November 2022, we served 243 households comprised of 408 adults, 320 children, and 185 seniors for a total of 913 people. WCHI provided food for 4,565 meals. December is still ongoing.
We know there are many more food insecure residents in Whitehall Township and Coplay Borough and we want to provide food to them. Please let your family, friends, and neighbors know about us. We are here to help. Jenn Dietz, Al Edelman, Bill Meltzer are our Pantry Co-Chairs.
Unfortunately, food costs continue to rise and there are many supply issues. WCHI is so grateful for Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB)!! They provide us with approximately 90% of our food. As of 12/15, their pantry available inventory was dramatically reduced to 137 total food and non-food items. Most of the food is free to Food Pantries like ours. SHFB serves 200 Agencies in 6 counties. Of the 137 items available, 42 of these are “purchase” items, which are at a reduced cost than we can purchase from the grocery store. The number of available food items that we would order is sharply reduced from January 2022 and the purchase program has increased 31% of this week’s available inventory. Some items we will order, and others are of no interest to us for our guests. We are also a Healthy Pantry, so we like foods that are not sugary and salty, though we do provide some of these items occasionally.
Because of the rising food costs, current supply chain issues, and the limited supply of foods available now through Second Harvest, I am strongly requesting that individuals, businesses, and faith-based organizations to PLEASE host food drives for WCHI as soon as possible.
Go to https://tinyurl.com/WCHIPantryList to view the list of needed items for donations.
Recently, Good Shepherd Catholic School, Northampton; Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Whitehall; Taylor Villas (a housing subdivision in Whitehall); Changes for Hair (a salon next to Charles Pizza), and Whitehall Twp (organized by Melanie Pries, Twp Human Recourses officer) did December food drives that provided WCHI with much needed food. This food was provided to our guests this week. And WCHI just received from Scouts BSA Order of the Arrow (Boy Scouts) 250 pounds of dog and cat food!! THANK YOU everyone with your donations!!
WCHI also accepts monetary gifts of any size. WCHI is 501(c) (3) IRS approved nonprofit organization and your donation may be tax deductible. Please discuss with your financial advisor.
All Food and Monetary Donations are greatly appreciated and may be shipped, dropped, or mailed to Shari Noctor,
1080 Schadt Ave, Whitehall, PA 18052.
Please leave your dropped food donations inside the foyer on the right side, Monday through Friday 8:30 AM- 5PM, Saturday 9AM-1PM & Sunday 10AM-1PM. The Whitehall-Coplay.
We also need both an Arabic and a Spanish translator to volunteer during our food Pantry distribution hours. If interested, please call 484-225-0358.
Questions or to schedule a pantry appointment,
please call 484-225-0358
We are located at St John the Baptist Church, 3024 S Ruch St, Whitehall. Our Pantry is open on both the 2nd and 3rd Thursday of the month from 9:30am-1pm and from 4:30-7pm. This is by appointment only and we close promptly at 1pm and 7pm. Whitehall and Coplay residents can only visit once a month. First time attendees, come to the parking lot behind the Church and a volunteer will give your directions.
For our guests, who have mobility issues, don’t worry. We will have an ordering form available for you to complete during your scheduled time. A WCHI volunteer will shop for you and bring the food to your car in the Church parking lot.
Requirements: We serve Whitehall and Coplay Boro residents. Please present a valid photo ID and/or utility bill to verify residency. Income limits apply per the household size. No income paperwork is required. No smoking is permitted.
WCHI is proud that Second Harvest Food Bank selected us to be one of three Healthy Food Pantry Initiatives in Lehigh County, which offers healthier low fat and low salt products, when possible. After we register our guests, a volunteer takes them shopping though our Choice Pantry. Our guests select the food items that they will eat and choose from several food types: canned fruit and vegetables, grains, ready to eat food, snacks, coffee/beverages, condiments, refrigerated and frozen foods, and toiletries. We also try to provide fresh produce, when available. Our guests have told us that they really like our “choice pantry” compared to our prior outside pre-bagged food items they received through April 2022.
Please go to https://tinyurl.com/WCHIPantryList to donate needed food items. These items can also be dropped or shipped to Shari Noctor at my Re/Max Unlimited office, 1080 Schadt Ave, Whitehall PA 18052
Just to give you data on the guests we have helped throughout the year (our numbers do change monthly), in January 2022 we served 230 households comprised of 366 adults, 364 children, and 110 seniors for a total of 840 people. We strive to provide food to make 5 meals per person, which totaled 4,200 meals. In November 2022, we served 243 households comprised of 408 adults, 320 children, and 185 seniors for a total of 913 people. WCHI provided food for 4,565 meals. December is still ongoing.
We know there are many more food insecure residents in Whitehall Township and Coplay Borough and we want to provide food to them. Please let your family, friends, and neighbors know about us. We are here to help. Jenn Dietz, Al Edelman, Bill Meltzer are our Pantry Co-Chairs.
Unfortunately, food costs continue to rise and there are many supply issues. WCHI is so grateful for Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB)!! They provide us with approximately 90% of our food. As of 12/15, their pantry available inventory was dramatically reduced to 137 total food and non-food items. Most of the food is free to Food Pantries like ours. SHFB serves 200 Agencies in 6 counties. Of the 137 items available, 42 of these are “purchase” items, which are at a reduced cost than we can purchase from the grocery store. The number of available food items that we would order is sharply reduced from January 2022 and the purchase program has increased 31% of this week’s available inventory. Some items we will order, and others are of no interest to us for our guests. We are also a Healthy Pantry, so we like foods that are not sugary and salty, though we do provide some of these items occasionally.
Because of the rising food costs, current supply chain issues, and the limited supply of foods available now through Second Harvest, I am strongly requesting that individuals, businesses, and faith-based organizations to PLEASE host food drives for WCHI as soon as possible.
Go to https://tinyurl.com/WCHIPantryList to view the list of needed items for donations.
Recently, Good Shepherd Catholic School, Northampton; Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Whitehall; Taylor Villas (a housing subdivision in Whitehall); Changes for Hair (a salon next to Charles Pizza), and Whitehall Twp (organized by Melanie Pries, Twp Human Recourses officer) did December food drives that provided WCHI with much needed food. This food was provided to our guests this week. And WCHI just received from Scouts BSA Order of the Arrow (Boy Scouts) 250 pounds of dog and cat food!! THANK YOU everyone with your donations!!
WCHI also accepts monetary gifts of any size. WCHI is 501(c) (3) IRS approved nonprofit organization and your donation may be tax deductible. Please discuss with your financial advisor.
All Food and Monetary Donations are greatly appreciated and may be shipped, dropped, or mailed to Shari Noctor,
1080 Schadt Ave, Whitehall, PA 18052.
Please leave your dropped food donations inside the foyer on the right side, Monday through Friday 8:30 AM- 5PM, Saturday 9AM-1PM & Sunday 10AM-1PM. The Whitehall-Coplay.
We also need both an Arabic and a Spanish translator to volunteer during our food Pantry distribution hours. If interested, please call 484-225-0358.
Questions or to schedule a pantry appointment,
please call 484-225-0358
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Free Community Meals
WCHI, the Faith-Based Community, and others are 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. Meals are guaranteed for the first 100 guests and will be an inside sit-down meal at the host locations (just like we did prior to Covid). There are no more takes out meals. WCHI will also post a meal reminder on Facebook and Instagram. Questions about hosting a meal or a guest wanting more info, please contact Karen Haberern, Program Chair, at 610-730-3184 Here are the following dates for meals.
Mickey Run Apartments Outreach Program
This year-round program was launched to provide the “Roseto Story” where neighbors get to know and help their fellow neighbors. Together we all bring a sense of community into the apartment complex. This has been very well-accepted program since starting in June 2020. We help alleviate the food needs of the children, youth, adults, and seniors living in the Mickley Run Apartment Complex. Neighbors will either bring neighbors with them or pick up food from our Food Pantry for those who do not have transportation when they pick up their food. Questions?
Please call /text 484-225-0358 with questions on anything written above. WCHI is definitely making a difference in peoples’ lives. THANK YOU ALL!! |
Senior Boxes
The Senior Food Box Program works to improve the health of low-income seniors by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA Foods. The senior food boxes do not provide a complete diet, but rather are good sources of the nutrients typically lacking in the diets of older Americans. Usually included in the 35-pound food box is: non-fat dry and shelf-stable fluid milk, juice, oats, ready-to-eat cereal, rice, pasta, dry beans, peanut butter, canned meat, poultry, or fish, and canned fruits and vegetables. The senior box income guidelines are much lower than the Pantry income guidelines. The income guidelines include all the income for all the people living in the household. For example, a household size of 1 person can have income of $17,667 to qualify for a senior box compared to $25,142 to qualify for Pantry food. In a four-person household, the maximum income for all four people must be at or below $36,075 for the senior(s) to receive a box. If there are two or more seniors living in the household and the total income is at or below the limit, each senior can have a box if they want it, but each person must fill out a separate form and everyone living in the household must be named along with their birthdates. Proof of the senior’s age is a requirement. This would be on a driver’s license. No worries if the senior does not drive. We still can qualify them. You may qualify for a Senior Box, even though you do not wish to obtain Pantry food. If you are a monthly Pantry Guest, you will receive your Senior Box when you pick up your food. WCHI is committed to helping as many low-income Whitehall and Coplay residents as possible in our area that qualify both for the Pantry and the Senior Box Program. We also include homebound and mobility impaired residents. Please spread the word through your faith-based bulletins, and by telling your family, friends, and neighbors. Questions, call Gail, Program Chair, at 610-351-6412. Bingo
WCHI will be offering bingo at St Peter Roman Catholic Church, 4 South 5th St, Coplay onSeptember 10, 2023, October 8, 2023, November 12, 2023, January 14, 2024, February 11, 2024, March 10, 2024, and April 14, 2024. The fall 2024 schedule will be provided later this year. Doors will open at 1pm and bingo starts at 2pm. Please mark your calendars. Fabulous food is available to purchase. Children are allowed to play if accompanied by an adult. $15 entry fee buys you 2 bingo boards with four games. Each additional board is $1 each and a pack of 5 specials are $5. Bingo chips and dabbers are available for purchase on site and through Amazon or Jackpot Amusements, 5827 Colony Dr, Bethlehem 610-837-9240. Questions and reservations, please call Liz Rodgers, Program Chair, 484-274-6687 WCHI Garden at Mickley-Prydun Farm
You can see our garden from the Ironton Rail Trail between Center and Lehigh Street. If you attended Family Night at Whitehall High School on April 19th and happened to stop by our table, you may have seen the cabbage seedlings on display. Our plan is to get the brassicas planted in early May and then get everything else planted after Mother’s Day. To minimize cost, we are starting our plants from seed. Of the brassica seeds planted, only the cabbage germinated. My Friday seed planting included three varieties of tomatoes, three types of sweet peppers, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, and a replanting of brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Each of the 26 containers was planted with 5-9 seeds, labeled, watered, and covered with a sheet of clear plastic to keep in the moisture and warmth to promote quick germination. This year’s seed starting is taking place in my sunroom on a 6’ folding table. You can see a photo of our seed starting project on the WCHI Facebook page. A huge THANK YOU also goes out to the Hokey Fire Department who has brought water to fill our water bins during the growing season. If you will be growing a vegetable garden this year, please consider planting an extra row or planting an extra plant for the Pantry. Your extra produce may be dropped to Shari Noctor’s Re/Max Unlimited Real Estate Office at 1080 Schadt Avenue, Whitehall. For other delivery or pick up options or to find out how you can volunteer with WCHI’s garden, please call Gwen Herczog, Program Chair, 610-379-6823. Monetary Donations are appreciated and can be made payable to the Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative, C/O Shari Noctor, 1080 Schadt Ave, Whitehall, PA 18052. Please put in the memo section where you want your donation applied. The Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative is a 501(c) (3) IRS approved nonprofit organization and your donation may be tax deductible. Please discuss with your financial advisor.
Volunteers
We are a 100% volunteer organization and could never do any of our programs that help our Whitehall and Coplay residents without their continued support, time, and talents. All volunteers must have state required criminal background clearances since we work with children. For a full list of our requirements and to register, please go to our website https://tinyurl.com/WCHIvolunteer Questions, e-mail Sylvia Lee, Program Chair, at volunteerme.lee@gmail.com Our Socials
Please visit our website https://tinyurl.com/WCHIhome! Like us on Facebook https://tinyurl.com/WCHIfb! Follow us on Instagram https://tinyurl.com/IGWCHunger! Questions, call Susan, Communications Chair, 610-440-1659. |