​This article is to let you know about WCHI’s upcoming WCHI programs & how you can help us support our community.
 
WCHI CASH BINGO:  Sunday, November 6th at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, 4 S. 5th St., Coplay. Doors open at 1 pm Calling starts at 2 pm.  Please bring an item for our Food Pantry! We need cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, & instant potatoes!  For more info, call/text Liz Rogers 484-274-6687
 
FREE COMMNITY MEALS:  WCHI and the Faith Based Community are proud to provide these FREE meals to low-income Whitehall-Coplay households twice a month through 2023. The host locations change every time.  All are welcome to attend both meals on the 1st Sunday and 3rd Tuesday each month from 4:00-6:30PM.  Meals are guaranteed for the 1st 100 guests. Once the meals are distributed, the doors will close, and a sign will be posted on the door. For more info, call Karen 610-730-3184
•             Sunday, November 6th, St Elizabeth’s Roman Catholic Church, 618 Fullerton Ave, Whitehall, 610-266-0695
•             Tuesday, November 15th, First Presbyterian of Hokendauqua, 3005 S. Front St., Whitehall, 610-264-9693
•             Sunday, December 4th, Muslim Association of the Lehigh Valley (MALV), 1988 Schadt Ave., Whitehall,703-346-8698
•             Tuesday, December 20th, Whitehall Bible Fellowship Church, 3300 7th St., Whitehall, 610-434-8661
 
WCHI FOODS PANTRY: In October we served 232 households consisting of 382 adults, 318 children, and 174 Seniors (age 60+) for a total of 874 people.  We provide enough food for each person to prepare 5 meals a month.  For October, this totaled 4,370 meals. We are here to help low-income Whitehall and Coplay residents especially in these hard times.  To schedule an appointment for November 10th or 17th, please call 484-225-0358.
This year, GIVING TUESDAY, will fall on November 29, 2022. This global giving day takes place each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Following the consumer-driven holidays of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday encourages communities to do good and ushers in the charitable giving season. 
 
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 go www.tinyurl.com/WCHIprograms to review all the programs we currently offer. Please put in the memo section where you want your monetary donation applied. The Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative is a 501(c) (3) IRS approved nonprofit organization and your donation may be tax deductible
 
TOILETRY DONATIONS: We always need:  Baby and Adult Diapers, Feminine Products, Shampoo & Conditioner, Soap, Tissues, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, and Toilet Paper. Federal Government programs such as SNAP and WIC, do not allow the funds for these programs to purchase toiletry items just food.  Second Harvest Food Bank, where we get 85% of our food also cannot purchase toiletries.  For low-income residents, toiletries are very expensive.  And the lack of certain items also can create some health issues i.e. baby diapers and feminine products in use too long before they are changed causes some infections. See below in Food Donations where the toiletries can be shipped or dropped off.
 
FOOD DONATIONS: are appreciated and may be shipped c/o Shai Noctor or dropped off at RE/MAX Unlimited Real Estate, 1080 Schadt Ave, Whitehall, PA 18052.  Please leave your food donations inside the foyer on the right, Monday through Friday 9AM- 5PM, Saturday 9AM-1PM & Sunday 10AM-1PM.  We need cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, and instant mashed potatoes. Please go to https://tinyurl.com/WCHIPantryList for a complete list of both food and toiletry needed items.
 
Food/Toiletry Drives:  Individuals, Businesses, School Clubs, and Faith Based Organizations have all done drives for us.  If you are Interested in doing one, please go to https://tinyurl.com/WCHIdrive
 
AMAZON SMILE is a way for you to support us every time you shop on Amazon. It doesn't cost you anything and takes only a minute to set up Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative as your Amazon Smile charity! Just click on the Amazon Smile image to get started! www.whitehallcoplayhungerinitiative.org/amazon-smile.html    
 
Thank you to everyone in our generous community for your continued support. 

I wanted to write an article on VOLUNTEERING since this is so important for a community.  Many people have time and talents they can offer. 

WCHI is 100% volunteer. We have 64 dedicated, selfless volunteers who really enjoy working with each other and helping our low-income residents obtain one of life’s necessities– FOOD.  Without our Volunteers, WCHI could never fulfill our mission of alleviating food insecurity in Whitehall and Coplay.  A huge THANK YOU is extended to EVERONE who helps WCHI.  Due to increasing food, gas, rent, childcare, & medicine costs, WCHI had our largest Pantry turnout in September Feeding 887 residents.  October is not finished yet, but our pantry distribution was just as busy.  WCHI can always use more volunteers.  Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/WCHIvolunteer                          
 
I found this Benefits of Community Service article from Western Connecticut State University and wanted to share some of it with you https://tinyurl.com/9wsz5utf  They use the word VOLUNTEERING numerous times. To save character space in this article, I will use (V).

“#1: (V) connects you to others - One of the better-known benefits of (V) is the impact on the community. Unpaid (V) are often the glue that holds a community together. (V) allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Even helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the lives of people in need. And (V) is a two-way street: It can benefit you and your family as much as the cause you choose to help. Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make new friends, expand your network, and boost your social skills.

One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together. (V) is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are new to an area. (V) also strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network, exposing you to people with common interests, neighborhood resources, and fun and fulfilling activities.

(V) increases your social and relationship skills.  While some people are naturally outgoing, others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people. (V) gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests. Once you have momentum, it’s easier to branch out and make more friends and contacts.

#2: (V) provides many benefits to both mental and physical health. (V) can provide a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity. And the better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals.

(V) combats depression.  Reducing the risk of depression is another important benefit of (V).  A key risk factor for depression is social isolation. (V) keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against stress and depression when you’re going through challenging times. 

(V)  helps you stay physically healthy. (V) is good for your health at any age, but it’s especially beneficial in older adults. Studies have found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate than those who do not, even when considering factors like the health of the participants. (V) has also been shown to lessen symptoms of chronic pain or heart disease.

#3: (V) brings fun and fulfillment to your life. (V)  is a fun and easy way to explore your interests and passions. Doing volunteer work, you find meaningful and interesting, can be a relaxing, energizing escape from your day-to-day routine of work, school, or family commitments. (V) also provides you with renewed creativity, motivation, and vision that can carry over into your personal and professional life.”

I hope you found this article informative and would consider volunteering with WCHI.  Have a great week!!

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WCHI’s Mission is: To alleviate food insecurity in Whitehall and Coplay. If you, a family member, or friend needs food, please call 484-225-0358 and talk with us.  Everyone needs assistance some time in their life.  There is no shame in needing food.  I always say, NO ONE should ever be hungry in this country.  We are here to help you.

Over the summer, WCHI anticipated an increase in the need for food this fall by Whitehall and Coplay low-income residents due to high food, gas, and rent prices. WCHI’s Pantry is open the 2nd and 3rd   Thursday of every month from 9:30-1pm and 4:30-7:00pm by appointment.  Each household can only attend our Pantry once a month. We consistently add new households every month. And not every registered household attends every month.

In September, we had record attendance. Last Thursday, October 13th, our Pantry was the busiest we have ever been.  We served 121 households consisting of 175 children (baby- age 17), 210 adults (age18-59), and 90 seniors (60+) for a total of 475 people. A huge Shout Out THANK YOU is extended to each one of our dedicated volunteers.  They worked non-stop all day that very rainy day.  

Our second food distribution is this Thursday, October 20th.  We are also expecting another day of record attendance. We have all our reservation time slots scheduled for the entire day.  Note: WCHI does not turn anyone away who needs food and who meets the mandated financial income limits. A valid driver’s license or picture ID along with proof of residency is required. We sometimes have cancellations due to people’s work schedules changing, new doctor’s appointments, etc.  Please call to make schedule an appointment.

We also need to have a Spanish and Arabic interpreter help us at our distributions.  If you can help, call 484-225-0358.

I also wanted to thank everyone who has been making food, toiletry, and monetary donations.  In preparing for the upcoming holidays, WCHI is collecting the following food items: Boxed Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, Gravy, Stove Top Stuffing.  Can your faith-based organization, civic organization, club, or business also do a food drive for us for these items?

We also could use Canned Pasta such as Chef Boyardee, Beefaroni, Ravioli, Canned soups other than cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, and vegetable, Canned beans – black, lima, lentils, chickpeas, kidney, string beans (anything to make meals with), Condiments (ketchup, mustard, relish), Ground Coffee, Hamburger Helper, Mac and Cheese Boxes, Oatmeal Packets Boxes, Pancake Mix, Pancake Syrup
1lb Rice bags/boxes; plain or flavored, Rice & Pasta Sides – Such as Knorr Pasta or Rice Packets
Tomato/ Spaghetti Sauce – cans or plastic jars.   Additionally, we also in need of feminine pads and liners.  

All Donations are appreciated and may be shipped or dropped off at Re/Max Unlimited Real Estate
1080 Schadt Ave, Whitehall, PA 18052. Please leave your donations inside the foyer on the right, Monday through Friday 8:30 AM- 5PM, Saturday 9AM-1PM & Sunday 10AM-1PM.

Thank you and have a great week!!

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This article is on some of our WCHI Programs- Cash Bingo, Free Community Meals, Choice Food Pantry, and Senior Boxes.  A huge thank you goes out to all our dedicated volunteers who make all our Programs run effortlessly.

CASH BINGO - This Sunday, October 9th, WCHI will be hosting a cash bingo at St Peter Roman Catholic Church, 4 S. 5th St, Coplay.  Bingo will also be held on November 6th (1st Sunday).  There is no bingo in December.  We will start up again on January 15th.  Doors will open at 1pm and bingo starts at 2pm.  St Peter’s kitchen will be open with fabulous food available for purchase. Please bring a food item for our Food Pantry. List of needed items are at the end of this article. 

The $15 entry fee buys you 2 bingo boards with four games.  Each additional board is $1 each and a pack of 5 paper specials are $5. We play 15 board games and 5 paper specials. Bingo chips and dabbers are available for purchase. For more info, call Liz Rodgers, Program Chair, 484-274-6687

FREE COMMUNITY MEALS – WCHI will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, October 18th at 11 am at our Pantry, 3024 S Ruch St, Whitehall for faith-based organization and other businesses who wish to host a free community meal in 2023. The meals are held the 1st Sunday and the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 4:00-6:30pm and are guaranteed for the 1st 100 guests.   
The host site decides on the food they wish to serve, provides the food, prepares, and serves the meal. Prior to Covid, all the meals were served inside the host location.  We are starting to get back to inside sit-down meals, though take-out meals are up to the individual host site. 
WCHI has been providing these free meals since 2015.  Our low-income community looks forward to these meals for both a hot, delicious meal, but more importantly, for the socialization of meeting with new and old friends. We serve all age groups. FYI, many seniors get dressed up and view these meals as a special night out. 
Thank you to both the Muslim Association of the Lehigh Valley (MALV) who hosted a meal on Sunday, October 2nd and to Redeemed Christian Church of God, 5 N 3rd St, Coplay who will hosting the next one on Tuesday, October 18th.   For more info, call Karen Haberern, Program Chair, 610-730-3184
CHOICE FOOD PANTRY –We are located at St John the Baptist Church Complex, in the Christ the King School, 3024 S Ruch St, Whitehall. Our Pantry is open on both the 2nd and 3rd Thursdays 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.  Income limits apply and proof of residency is required.  Call 484-225-0358 for more info and to schedule your October appointment.
SENIOR BOXES – are available to our Pantry guests (age 60+) who qualify for an additional 35-pound food box, which includes: 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. Income limits are lower than Pantry food limits. If you financially qualify for a Senior Box, the paperwork will be completed during your Pantry visit. Once you are approved for the program, your Senior Box will be delivered to your home the following month. For more info, call Gail, Program Chair, 610-351-6412.

NEEDED PANTRY FOOD ITEMS - Canned pasta such as Chef Boyardee, Beefaroni, Ravioli; Canned soups other than cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, and vegetable; Canned beans – black, lima, lentils, chickpeas, kidney, string beans (anything to make meals with); Condiments (ketchup, mustard, relish); Ground Coffee, Hamburger Helper, Mac and Cheese Boxes, Oatmeal Packets Boxes, Pancake Mix, Pancake Syrup, 1lb Rice bags/boxes plain or flavored, Rice & Pasta Sides – Such as Knorr Pasta or Rice Packets, Tomato/ Spaghetti Sauce – cans or plastic jars.  We are also starting to collect food items for Thanksgiving: Boxed Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, and Stove Top Stuffing.

All product and monetary donations are appreciated and may be dropped off, mailed, or shipped to WCHI c/o Shari Noctor at Re/Max Unlimited Real Estate, 1080 Schadt Ave, Whitehall, PA 18052. Office is open M-F 8:30-5, Sat 9-1 and Sun 10-1.   Thank you and have a great week!!

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