Shari's Update - 8/31/2023

I wanted to talk about our 2023 WCHI pantry attendance and the guests we serve.  This is just a snapshot of three months this year.  August numbers are not completed as of press time.

                                                       JAN          APR        JUL
Youth 0-17                                   351        347        356
Adults 18-59                                420        453        433
Seniors 60+                                 195        192        190
Total people served                   966        992        979
Food items 5 meals/person      4,830    4,960      4,895
Total Households                        251        260        251
New household registrations     17          13          13

Please take notice of the number of children, adults, and seniors we help monthly. We are feeding almost 1,000 guests a month.  Guests do not come every month for a myriad of reasons: illness, no transportation, changes to work schedules, obtained a new job, etc. We would serve well over 1,200 people if every registered guest would attend every month.

Our Mission is to alleviate food insecurity in Whitehall and Coplay. We feel we do a great job but can always improve.  WCHI is please to consistently register new food insecure households monthly. We are here to help. Please, if you know anyone who needs food in Whitehall and Coplay, please tell them to call us at 484-225-0358 to schedule a pantry appointment. We are open the 2nd and 3rd Thursdays every month from 9:30am-1pm and 4:30- 7 pm.  We promptly close the doors at 1pm and 7 pm.

Many households do not have transportation.  One guest rides a bike 1 mile to our Pantry and is extremely limited on what he can bring home.  If you have a neighbor, friend, or family member who does not have transportation, can you please make the time to bring them?  Or if you know or suspect someone needs food, can you offer to help them?  Food insecurity is blind.  Not many people will raise their hand and say I am hungry or can you help me.  Many people do not want people to know their situation, are afraid what someone will think about them, or they are ashamed to ask for help.  

No one should be hungry in this country.  And NO ONE should be hungry here in Whitehall and Coplay.  Besides our WCHI Pantry, guests can also attend Whitehall Food Pantry at St Stephens, 3900 Mechanicsville Rd.  They are open Mondays 6:00- 8:00pm by appointment. Contact 484-246-5715.  Also, for Coplay residents, the Coplay Food Pantry, in Coplay Boro Hall, 98 S 4th St is open the 2nd Tuesday every month from 8:30-10am.  Please contact Jodi at 610.262.0928.

Second Harvest Food Bank is a major source of our pantry food but has been having low inventory for several months now.  They provide food to 200 agencies in 6 counites.  WCHI provides food for each of our guests to have meals for five days.  WCHI relies on the public to donate needed food items.  Our guests either like to prepare cooked meals and others like to have ready to eat food like tuna, soup, canned ravioli, etc.  WCHI appreciates ALL donations: individual or planned food drives. 

We request the following items: Boxes of Oatmeal, Boxed Potatoes, Canned Fruit (Low Sugar or Light Fruit Syrup), Canned Tuna, Cereal, Condiments (mayo, ketchup, mustard), Macaroni &Cheese, Jelly, Pancake Mix & Syrup, Pasta (all kinds: elbows, spaghetti, rigatoni, rotini, shells, etc), Rice 1lb bagged brown or white, Ready to Eat Items (Canned Ravioli, SpaghettiOs, etc), Any kind of ​Soups (Including: Creamed, Chunky, Chicken Noodle, Tomato, Vegetable, etc), Spaghetti Sauce, Stovetop Stuffing Mix. All food items above can be store brands. 

These food items can be shipped to or dropped at my Re/Max Unlimited office, 1080 Schadt Ave, Whitehall, PA  18052 M-F 8:30am -5pm.  The office is closed on the weekends.   

Thank you and have a great week!!

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