Fabulous news! Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative has a brand-new website - whitehallcoplayhungerinitiative.org. A big shout-out goes to Jen Harper for all her hard work, along with Judy Ehret and Priscilla Rosado.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

The public has been so generous with monetary and food donations. Whitehall Township and Coplay Borough residents are truly blessed to have such wonderful people helping us serve our community. WCHI’s community outreach program currently needs the following items for the July 16 distribution: 15-ounce cans of Chef Boyardee pastas, small individual boxes of raisins, peanut butter or cheese snack crackers, Hamburger Helper, kidney beans and baked beans.

I always try to support Second Harvest Food Bank and its initiatives since it helps so many in our area. We could not do our community outreach program without them.

One of its programs is The Seed Farm, and the food bank is doing a Farm to Fork fundraiser now until June 30. Visit shfblv.org/theseedfarm/farmtofork for more information.

Please spread the word about two United States Department of Agriculture food security programs, being promoted jointly through Buy Fresh Buy Local (buylocalglv.org/resources) and Lehigh Valley Food Policy Council (lvfpc.org), to help low-income residents in the Lehigh Valley. Please check out their websites. They both do amazing work.

The first program is Lehigh Valley Fresh Food Bucks. For every dollar customers spend on grocery items with EBT/SNAP (food stamps) at participating locations, they get a dollar worth of locally grown fruits and vegetables for free - double SNAP for up to $10 a day!

The two closest locations are Northampton Farmers Market at Municipal Park, Smith Lane and Laubach Avenue, Northampton, open 3-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays May-October, (see Clear Springs Farm); and Hersh’s Market, 129 S. 17th St., Allentown, open 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays (information: 610-821-8336).

The second program involves WIC recipients. The WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program provide WIC recipients and low- income seniors with fresh, nutritious, unprepared and locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs from approved farmers in Pennsylvania.

For FMNP eligibility, recipients must be on the WIC program. You receive the benefit during the quarterly WIC visit (May-September).

For SFMNP eligibility, seniors must be 60 years of age or older and meet the federal income guidelines. The checks are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The 2020 household income guidelines are as follows: number of people in household and total income cannot exceed 1 - $23,606; 2 - $31,894; 3 - $40,182; and 4 - $48,470.

To apply, call the hotline number of Lehigh County Aging and Adult Services at 610-782-3255. Call the office to find out when and where it is distributing the checks/vouchers.

In the past, Lehigh County social workers visited senior centers and senior high-rise apartments to distribute the vouchers. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, you must call the office.

In the program, recipients are given a list of participating farmers and farmers markets when they receive their checks. These checks are redeemed for fresh fruits and vegetables grown in Pennsylvania. Each eligible recipient receives four $6 SFMNP checks to redeem at qualified farmers markets or roadside stands.

There are more than 1,160 FMNP participating farmers at 828 farm stands and 88 farmers markets in the state.