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In my 8.29.24 article, I mentioned WCHI has been increasing our 2024 Pantry guest registrations. We reached a record in April serving 1,219 guests who attended our Pantry. In August, WCHI served a low of 913 guests. WCHI achieved 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+). If everyone shows up for their October appointments, we should break the September record. Our Mission: To alleviate food insecurity in Whitehall and Coplay WCHI is very proud to provide this much needed Community Outreach Program to help our residents with a basic need: FOOD. But we cannot feed our guests if we don’t have food. And we could not serve them without all our fabulous, selfless, volunteers. “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” ― Helen Keller. I will tell you all about our AMAZING volunteers in my October 24th article. In 2023, Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB) provided WCHI with 198,942 pounds of food. The value of that food was $285,229. SHFB is not a store. Food is inventoried and kept in a huge warehouse for Pantry and other food partners such as Soup Kitchens. Food products come from USDA, PA State Dept of Agriculture, and local grocery stores that move out older inventory to make room for newer dated products. WCHI has not received any 2024 updated food data from SHFB. An important note about sell by food dates. Canned goods are good for 5 years past their sell by date. If the can is rusted, dented, or bulging, it must be thrown out. Most food in cardboard boxes, like pasta and cereal, are good for1 year. The only thing that must be thrown out is baby formula. At its expiration date, there no longer are any nutrients left in the formula that a baby can use. We do have expired sale date products in our Pantry as they come in from SHFB. We explain the expired dates to our guests. WCHI can provide printout info on product dating that I have from USDA. WCHI relies on 1. Lehigh County and Public non-profit grant monies, 2. the generous public Angels, who provides both the foods we need that we cannot obtain from SHFB and/or 3. monetary donations to purchase the items we need. On our website, WhitehallCoplayHungerInitiative.org under the Ways to Give Tab is the Food and Toiletries section or directly from this tiny url: https://tinyurl.com/yrc7wy54 you will be able to see the items were are requesting. THANK YOU to all of our public donors who mail me checks payable to WCHI or who drop food in my foyer at my Re/MAX Unlimited office at 1080 Schadt Ave, Whitehall 18052 Monday through Friday 9am-5pm. You all are truly ANGELS! Even with all the food in the world, WCHI could not do the essential work we are doing without our selfless Volunteers. My article for next week will be on our dedicated and wonderful volunteers. Have a great week and please call me with any questions on my personal cell 610-730-8067. If you need a pantry appointment, please call 484-225-0358.
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