Happy New Year from the Whitehall Coplay Hunger Initiative Pantry! We have some highlights of the year
to share. As you may remember, WCHI is a member of the Healthy Pantry Initiative through Feeding
Pennsylvania. The goal is to increase access to healthy foods and beverages as well as provide
information on chronic diseases to food pantry clients. We encourage consumption of more nutritious
foods through environmental changes as well as direct nutrition education such as healthy food tastings,
demonstrations, and recipes. An additional six pantries have joined the Healthy Pantry Initiative, bringing
the total to 20 pantries in the program.
A survey that some of our guests filled out in the spring indicated that many people appreciate receiving
fresh fruits and vegetables and continue to request a variety of fresh foods. We regularly order bulk
produce from Second Harvest and distribute vegetables that we grow in our WCHI Garden. Over the past
two months we have given out fresh mangoes, apples, pears, onions, carrots, cabbage, sweet potatoes
and pineapples, in addition to frozen brussels sprouts, blueberries and strawberries. We are proud of
offering this great variety of foods.
This year the team at Second Harvest installed 14 new raised garden beds on their property and they
harvested 421 pounds of produce. The vegetables and 1,248 herb plants were shared with guests as
plants to grow at home, as well as ingredients in the food samples they gave at pantry visits, including
ours, over the summer. We were able to share some basil and tomato plants this year and hope to
encourage our guests to grow some veggies at home this year, too.
At WCHI, we enjoy sharing healthy food samples and recipes with our guests to highlight foods that are in
the pantry that may be unfamiliar and encourage everyone to try something new or get creative with
new ways to prepare foods. Throughout this past year, we offered tastings of Stove Top spoon bread,
oatmeal bites, tomato bruschetta, oatmeal raisin bars, vegan "macaroni & cheese", cheesy broccoli
soup, chili mac and cornbread pudding. The survey showed that 36 of those who responded to the
survey had tried new food because of these offerings! That is the kind of progress we are happy to see.
While guests are shopping in our WCHI Pantry, we talk with them to find out their dietary concerns and
cooking styles. WCHI does our best to help them make choices that fit their needs. We help educate our
guests as they make their selections each month by paying attention to signage around the pantry
indicating choices that are higher in fiber or lower in sodium and sugar. Our guests have reported that the
foods offered at the WCHI Pantry helps improve their health. Hearing that our neighbors are working
toward better health is reassuring us that our efforts are making a difference in helping our community.
Please visit the websites for www.FeedingeA,Q(g and the PA Healthy Pantry Initiative
https://tinyurl.com/.bdnu1xx3 to find recipes and learn more about how these programs are helping our
neighbors.
 ​

​As we kick off 2025, I wanted to recap a few open items from our 2024 Pantry Garden.  If you recall, we still had radishes and spinach planted, both covered and uncovered, as well as parsley, cilantro, and oregano.  We anticipated that we would be able to continue to harvest these items into December provided we had some good weather.  Unfortunately, after the rain we had in November, we had extremely cold weather for about a week.
 
On Sunday, December 8th we had a very warm day, and I was able to spend a couple of hours in the garden.  I took down our WCHI Pantry Garden sign, emptied the water barrels, and drained the water tank.  The hose had some frozen spots, so I laid it out in the sun to thaw and drain out.  Unfortunately, when I checked the spinach and radishes, I found the spinach to have white spots and the radishes were limp and frozen.  In addition, the oregano, cilantro, and parsley were frozen.  As a result of losing the last of our crops, I used the remaining straw in the shed and mulched the rest of the open beds.  Full disclosure, I was lazy and did not weed the beds before putting down the straw.  I am writing this article on December 24th, and due to the recent snowfall, I will have to wait for a warm day to make my way down to the garden to put away our hose and to store the barrels in the shed.
 
I found it interesting that our groundhog friend who resided under our shed has been noticeably absent from the garden.  The piece of fence near the gate hinge was found to be pushed aside, thus allowing him to escape.  This fence repair has taken top billing on our late winter/early spring work list. 
 
Hannah from The Seed Farm received our soil report from the Penn State extension and in her words, “The results look really good.”  She said we will want to amend our soil with a balanced fertilizer to bring up the levels of phosphorus and potassium, but otherwise, the soil is great.
 
Although we were unable to provide fresh vegetables from our Pantry Garden on our December distribution days, we were fortunate that Second Harvest had several items available for our guests.  These included carrots, yams, onions, cabbage, pears, mangoes, pineapples, and apples.  Most of these items arrived in bulk boxes or in 50 lb. bags, so our pantry volunteers down packed these into Wawa bags for grab-and-go distribution to guests.  Each distribution had different items available, but all our guests had access to a nice selection of these nutritious foods.
 
Did you know that during November and December the pantry received thousands of pounds of non-perishable food items that you, our local community, graciously donated?  Every can or box donated makes a real difference to a food-insufficient households.  If you follow our Facebook page, you have seen that we had no less than 16 schools, businesses, churches, housing communities, and civic organizations organize food drives for WCHI, plus we had additional, valuable donations received at the Re/Max Unlimited office at 1080 Schadt Avenue, Whitehall.  Our volunteers picked up, unloaded, date checked, and sorted all the donations we received.  All totaled, we received 4,425 pounds of non-perishable food items and toiletries.  Our community is FABULOUS!
 
Finally, I want to recognize the tireless efforts of our WCHI volunteers who make everything we do possible.  I look forward to continuing to volunteer with all of you in 2025!  Email our volunteer coordinator, Sylvia Lee, at [email protected] for more information on joining our AMAZING team.
 
Happy New Year!  

​WCHI CHOICE FOOD PANTRY We serve Whitehall & Coplay residents. Located at St John the Baptist Church, 3024 S Ruch St, Whitehall, our Pantry is open on both the 2nd and 3rd Thursdays of the month from 9am-1pm and from 4:30-7pm.  Our guests can only visit once a month.  This is by appointment only.  Arrive 10 minutes early. Please bring your own bags and limit appointment time changes. We close promptly at 1pm and 7pm.
 
First time attendees, come to the parking lot behind the Church and a volunteer will give you directions.  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. Please present two forms of ID to verify residency (a valid photo ID, if available, and/or utility bills).  There are income limits based on the total number of people living in the household. No income paperwork is required.
 
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.
 
SENIOR FOOD BOX PROGRAM (SFBP) is offered through WCHI & works to improve the health of low-income seniors (60 years old and older) by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA foods. Applications are being put on a waiting list until further notice.  Questions, please call Gail, SBFP Chair, 610-351-6412.
 
VOLUNTEERS  - WCHI is 100% Volunteer based.  WCHI needs volunteers to help at our Food Pantry.  Full child abuse clearances are required to volunteer in our Food Pantry.  Please go to our website and see the requirements  https://tinyurl.com/yck8ajzz  Once completed they are good for 5 years.
 
WCHI GARDEN is located at the Mickley-Prydun Farm.  Volunteers are always welcome to maintain our garden, which provides fresh vegetables and herbs for our Pantry guests. Questions, please call Gwen, Garden Chair, 610-379-6823
 
BINGO at St Peter Roman Catholic Church, 4 South 5th St, Coplay on January 12th, February 9th, Narch 9th, and April 13th.   Doors open at 1pm and bingo starts at 2pm.  Jackpot is $200. Questions,​ please call Liz, Bingo Chair, 484-274-6687
 
FOOD DONATIONS are always needed & can be delivered to the RE/MAX Unlimited office, 1080 Schadt Ave, Whitehall Mon-Fri 9am -5 pm. Questions, please call Shari, 610-730-8067.
 

​Why should your organization plan a Food Drive to provide additional food for our Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative (WCHI) Pantry?
Food drives help WCHI by 1. Providing food items that we both need and know our guests will select off our Pantry shelves and eat. 2.  Raising awareness about food insecurity in Whitehall and Coplay.  3. 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 to create a Food Drive. And 4. Giving 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.  Please note: some of these donors are located outside of Whitehall and Coplay area, but the person hosting the drive lives in our community and coordinated the Food 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 School, Northampton; Hokey Pool; London Club & Scholastic Scrimmage at Whitehall High School; Minsi Trails Council; Smart Warehousing;  Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church; St Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church and School; St John the Baptist Church; St Peter Roman Catholic Church; Steckel 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 School.
These are the food items we currently need in alphabetical order: 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 & Syrup, Pasta (all kinds), Peanut Butter, Ready to Eat Items (like Canned Ravioli, SpaghettiOs, etc),  Rice 1lb bagged (brown or white, Soups (Including: Creamed, Chicken Noodle, Tomato, Vegetable, etc), Spaghetti Sauce, and Stovetop Stuffing Mix. ** All food items above can be store brands. **
We also are fortunate to have many unknown “Angels’ who deliver needed food items to the Re/Max Unlimited office foyer Monday through Friday 9am-5pm.  Monetary donations are also appreciated. Checks can be dropped off at the front desk 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 PA  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!

Most people are familiar with using frozen vegetables, frozen pizzas, or frozen meals in a box that can be heated in the oven or microwave. If you see that berries or bananas are starting to over-ripen, they can be frozen and used to bake or mix into a smoothie. When there’s a great sale on meat, you can buy extra and freeze it for later. You can meal prep casseroles and soups and store them in the freezer for convenience another time. In short, whenever there is extra food, it can be stored in the freezer. The freezing process itself does not destroy nutrients. In meat and poultry products, there is little change in nutrient value during freezer storage.
 
Freshness and quality at the time of freezing affect the condition of frozen foods. If frozen at peak quality, thawed foods emerge tasting better than foods frozen near the end of their useful life. So you should freeze items you won't use quickly sooner rather than later. Store all foods at 0° F or lower to retain vitamin content, color, flavor and texture.
The best thing that I just learned through the USDA website is that no matter how long a food is frozen, it is safe to eat. Foods that have been in the freezer for months may be dry, or may not taste as good, but they will be safe to eat. 
 
If you find a package of ground beef that has been in the freezer more than a few months, don’t throw it out. Use it to make chili or tacos, the seasonings and additional ingredients can make up for loss of flavor (from -UDSAmediablog Jun 27, 2013).
 
The following information is written by the USDA. Freezer burn does not make food unsafe, merely dry in spots. It appears as grayish-brown leathery spots and is caused by air coming in contact with the surface of the food. Cut freezer-burned portions away either before or after cooking the food.
 
Food stored constantly at 0 °F will always be safe. Only the quality suffers with lengthy freezer storage. Freezing preserves food for extended periods because it prevents the growth of microorganisms that cause both food spoilage and food borne illness. 
There are three safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. It's best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator - never on the counter. Small items may defrost overnight; most foods require a day or two. And large items like turkeys may take longer, approximately one day for each 5 pounds of weight. 
For faster thawing, place food in a leak proof plastic bag and immerse it in cold water. Check the water frequently to be sure it stays cold and change the water every 30 minutes. After thawing, cook immediately. When microwave-defrosting food, plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving.
 
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-
basics/freezing-and-food-safety 
 

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I always like to provide the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Food General Safety site
https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/index.html

Turkey Safety site:
www.cdc.gov/food-safety/foods/holiday-turkey.html

They have great info for Preparing Your Holiday Turkey Safely. CDC added much more this year and it is worth reading.  Many people do not thaw or cook the turkey properly and end up making a trip to the emergency room.
 
I have taken excerpts from the CDC article to safely store, thaw, handle, cook, and reheat your turkey
“Handling poultry, such as chicken and turkey, incorrectly and undercooking it are the most common problems that lead to food-borne disease outbreaks linked to poultry. Follow these tips to help you safely prepare your next holiday turkey meal.
 
Thaw your turkey safely in one of three ways: in the refrigerator in a container; in a leak-proof plastic bag in a sink of cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes; or in the microwave, following the microwave oven manufacturer’s instructions.
 
Never thaw your turkey by leaving it out on the counter. A thawing turkey must defrost at a safe temperature. When the turkey is left out at room temperature for more than two hours, its temperature becomes unsafe. Bacteria can grow rapidly in the “danger zone” between 40-140 degrees Fahrenheit.
 
Handle your turkey the right way. Raw poultry can contaminate anything it touches with harmful bacteria. Follow the four steps to food safety - clean, separate, cook and chill - to prevent the spread of bacteria to your food, family and friends.
 
Cook stuffing thoroughly. Cooking stuffing separately from the turkey in a casserole dish makes it easy to be sure it is thoroughly cooked.  If you cook stuffing in the turkey, put the stuffing in the turkey just before cooking.
 
With either cooking method, use a food thermometer to make sure the stuffing’s center reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit and may then cause food poisoning.
 
If you cook stuffing in the turkey, wait 20 minutes after taking the bird out of the oven before removing the stuffing. This allows it to cook a little more.
 
Cook your turkey thoroughly. Set the oven temperature to at least 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the completely thawed turkey in a roasting pan that is 2-2.5 inches deep. Cooking times will vary depending on the weight of the turkey.
 
Use a food thermometer to make sure the turkey has reached a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Check by inserting a food thermometer into the center of the stuffing and the thickest portions of the breast, thigh and wing joint. Even if your turkey has a pop-up temperature indicator, you should still use a food thermometer to check it is safely cooked.
 
Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before removing all stuffing from the cavity and carving the meat.
 
The bacteria clostridium perfringens grows in cooked foods left at room temperature. It is the second most common bacterial cause of food poisoning. The major symptoms are vomiting and abdominal cramps within six to 24 hours after eating. Clostridium perfringens outbreaks occur most often in November and December. Many of these outbreaks have been linked to foods commonly served during the holidays, such as turkey and roast beef.
 
Refrigerate leftovers at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder as soon as possible and within two hours of preparation to prevent food poisoning. Slice or divide big cuts of meat, such as a roast turkey, into small quantities for refrigeration so they will cool quickly.
 
Reheat all leftovers to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit before serving.”
 
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

My best eating season is summer.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are widely available locally, they are colorful and inexpensive. In summer, I find it easy to make daily salads, to grill veggies, to make my plate look like a rainbow and to nibble on sweet fruits throughout the day.
 
Now that days are colder and I can no longer pick my salad ingredients from the garden, my palette naturally switches to warmer meals and the ingredients change. It becomes a little tougher to meet the recommended servings of fruits and veggies, and the USDA website confirmed that I am not alone: The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–25 recommends that most people need about 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables in their daily diets. USDA food consumption surveys have found that the average U.S. consumer falls short, consuming only 0.9 cups of fruit and 1.4 cups of vegetables per day. I need to remind myself that it doesn’t matter whether I eat fresh, canned, frozen, dried, or juice to meet the numbers.
 
Cost has been cited as a possible barrier to higher fruit and vegetable consumption.  USDA has calculated the average cost per cup of many fruits and veggies and determined that there are several inexpensive options. Fresh bananas, apples, cantaloupe, grapes, pineapple, and watermelon are cheapest when in season. Canned applesauce & pineapple, dried grapes (raisins) & cranberries, and most fruit juices (possibly in concentrated form) were well below $1/cup. Sometimes you need to do a little research to see if an item is more cost effective in a different form. For example, canned or frozen green beans may be cheaper than fresh, but one is not more nutritious than the other.
 
For those who prefer to eat fresh produce year-round, I recently discovered a great ‘Seasonal Produce Guide’ on the myplate.gov website under “Recipe Resources”.  You see each season, click on any fruit or vegetable and learn more than you thought was possible about that item - including recipes!
 
I’ll leave you some tips from the USDA WIC Works resource system: Since fresh produce can spoil, try to plan ahead and buy only what is needed. Pre-washed and pre-cut varieties of fruits and vegetables are convenient and available in many stores, but usually need to be used more quickly and may cost more than the original.  Purchasing fruits and vegetables in larger quantities may cost less per pound than buying individual items. For example, a 3-pound bag of apples may cost less per pound than purchasing apples individually.
 
Frozen foods can be just as nutrient-dense as fresh and can be heated quickly in the microwave, on the stove-top or added into mixed dishes. Canned options are a great way to store foods longer and are also a quick way to add a vegetable or fruit to a meal or snack. Choose low-sodium canned vegetables whenever possible.
 
Dried fruits are shelf stable and do not require additional preparation to enjoy. They can be a nutrient-packed snack alternative or grabbed quickly when on the go.
 

October was another amazing month at the Pantry Garden!  On our work night October 8th, we picked 46 lbs. of produce which included tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, string beans, broccolini, radishes, kale, and chard.  We were so very proud to make all these vegetables available to our pantry guests at our first distribution.  In addition, Second Harvest provided us with carrots, potatoes, lettuce, and pears to distribute to pantry guests.   
 
On our work night October 15th, we emptied our Pantry Garden plants of peppers, eggplant, string beans, and ripe tomatoes in anticipation of upcoming frost.  We also picked red beets, radishes, chard, kale, lettuce, and dill from the garden, a total of 145 lbs.!  We gave these out at distribution in addition to carrots, onions, and peaches received from Second Harvest.  Despite our best efforts, we were unable to give away all our garden bounty, so the remainders were shared with another food pantry through Plant-A-Row.  We are so fortunate in the Lehigh Valley to have a great network of pantries that share excess produce with each other in a united effort to ensure food insufficient households have access to fresh fruits and vegetables.  Nothing goes to waste! 
 
On our work night October 22nd, we made a valiant effort to cut down and remove our dead eggplant, pepper, and tomato plants and their associated cages, stakes, and mesh fences.  It was quite a challenge!  The plants had grown into the mesh, the tomato ties were dried and difficult to remove, and many of the pepper cages were stuck in the dry, parched earth.  We will remove these after the next rain.  We also watered the broccolini, chard, kale, radishes, parsley, spinach, and dill that comprise our fall garden.  Despite the limited amount of rain we received in October, we had enough in the storage tank to water our fall crops with just a small amount remaining. 
 
On October 21st, Hannah from The Seed Farm dropped off 6 bales of straw for us to mulch the beds after they were emptied.  Because we did not finish cleaning out the beds before darkness fell, a couple of us returned Wednesday, October 23rd to finish removing the plants and then we put down 5 bales of the straw on the empty beds.  We stored the final bale in our shed in the wheelbarrow.  We will use this to mulch the fall beds after these crops have frozen out.  In case you were wondering, the oats and peas we planted in two of our previously emptied beds are growing very well.  This bed cover seems to be untouched by critters, at least so far!
 
Last month I shared with you that we had picked 120 lbs. of butternut squash from our Pantry Garden and had them stored in the pantry.  Because we had so many other seasonal vegetables to give out at the October distributions, we chose to hold these in the pantry until November distributions.
 
Although we still have our fall crops growing at the Pantry Garden, year to date we have harvested 841 lbs. of vegetables and herbs.  In 2023 we ended the year with 811 lbs., so a nice increase. 
 
Year to date, we have had 252 lbs. of vegetables and herbs donated to the pantry to distribute to pantry guests and for our free community meals.  WCHI also donated 1089 lbs. of fresh produce and herbs to other pantries via the Plant-A-Row network.  This includes items grown at our Pantry Garden, donated to WCHI by our community, and excess produce received from Second Harvest. 
 
Enjoy your fall garden and have a great November!

Our Healthy Pantry Initiative group holds regular meetings to keep us updated on ways to share healthy information with our guests. We want to promote nutrition to help everyone be healthier, and allow those with chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, suggestions to help make good dietary choices which can help them manage these conditions.  
We recently had a review of the USDA My Plate guidelines as well as some tips for reading nutrition labels.  These are always good tips to hear again.  A quick review of the focus of each of the food groups provides guidelines for the choices we should try to make when working toward a healthier diet while not expecting every meal or snack to be picture perfect. There’s always room for some foods that might not be “healthy” but that are part of a well-rounded diet and general enjoyment. “Progress not perfection” is a positive approach we should strive for.
Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables and include a variety of colors.  Choose fresh or frozen when possible or those canned with juice or light syrup and canned vegetables that are low salt or no salt added. The idea to “eat a rainbow” of colors in our fruits and vegetables helps to provide a variety of different nutrients because each color is known to provide a different nutrient profile and benefit.
Whole grains, such as oats, whole wheat bread or pasta, quinoa, brown rice, and barley are good sources of fiber. “Make half your grains whole grains”. Dairy has an emphasis on providing calcium. Low-fat may be a good choice. For those who do not eat dairy products, calcium can also be found in orange juice and leafy green vegetables. Proteins may come from meat, nuts, and seeds. Choose lean meats or drain some fat before eating.
Nutrition labels are on almost every package to help us find more of the ingredients that are good and less of what we want to avoid.  Some people find them confusing, but we can learn to focus on a few simple pieces. The top of the label tells you approximately how many servings are in a package and the nutrition details correspond to a single serving (if you eat more than one serving, you need to multiply those numbers).  The percentage of daily value on the right column shows how much of each nutrient in a serving contributes to your total daily count.  This is usually based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so many people consuming fewer calories would need less than listed.
Generally speaking, we want less saturated fat, less sodium, less added sugar and more fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.  Saturated fat is shown near the top, below total fat, and along with trans-fat is said to cause heart disease. Both should be limited. Below total sugar, ADDED SUGAR is a fairly new line item on the label.  This is to differentiate between natural sugars and the added sugars or corn syrup that increase the calories and carbohydrate values.
Sodium has its own line and the guideline for most people is often no more than 2,000-2,400mg daily.  A person who has heart disease or high blood pressure would be instructed by their doctor to consume much less sodium daily. The vitamins and minerals at the bottom of the label are also things we want to include in our diet.
Individually, we should find ways to do the best we can to make the choices that work best for ourselves. We don’t always need to do all the things all the time but little by little, using the above guidelines to choose well most of the time and strive for progress not perfection.