I was at my sister’s home last week. She has a framed quote on her family room wall that says, “To the world, you may just be one person. But to one person, you may be the world.” No author is mentioned.

This made me think about all the wonderful volunteers who help at our Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative Food Pantry, the food garden and the free community meal host sites. I am pleased that all three programs provide food for our low-income, food-insecure Whitehall-Coplay School District residents.

This article focuses on our WCHI pantry volunteers.

“We are proud to have around 50 active volunteers who generously give their time to support our pantry each month,” Sylvia Lee, WCHI volunteer chair, said. “These dedicated individuals help with a variety of essential tasks, including unloading trucks, restocking shelves and accompanying guests as they shop on distribution days. Their shifts vary in length — from 2.5 hours to a full day — depending on their availability, and each contribution, no matter the size, plays a vital role in keeping our operations running smoothly and ensuring our guests feel welcomed and supported.”

WCHI is 100% volunteer based. The essential tasks Sylvia mentions also include ordering and purchasing food from Second Harvest Food Bank, Aldi, CVS, Giant, Redner’s, Walmart, Weis, Allentown Sam’s Club and Wegmans. Some of these stores include multiple locations.

WCHI also purchases basic toiletries from CVS, Sam’s Club and Walmart.

Volunteers unload a minimum of 2,500-5,500 pounds of food Wednesdays from Second Harvest, WCHI purchases and public donations. Food items are dated and stored on pallets or in refrigerators/freezers. Each is identified as U.S. Department of Agriculture food, state food, local WCHI-purchased store food or public donated food. The public donated food is also date checked and weighed.

Our volunteers also restock our pantry shelves, pack 50-pound bags of produce ordered from Second Harvest like carrots, onions and potatoes, when available, into smaller, more manageable bags, donated by Whitehall Wawa.

On distribution days, one volunteer checks in our pantry guests during their appointment time. Each household is then registered in our computer program by one of four registration volunteers and is given a pantry appointment for the following month.

Another volunteer takes our guest shopping for food and toiletries with a grocery cart through each section of available items in our pantry. We are in the basement of the former Christ the King School.

The heavy, food-filled grocery cart is pushed up a ramp by another volunteer and is unloaded in our guest’s car. Not every guest owns a car. We have several guests who rely on Uber to bring them to and take them home from our pantry.

Our WCHI volunteers enjoy helping our community. Everyone gets along very well and helps each other.

We can always use more volunteers. Email Sylvia at volunteerme.lee@gmail.com to see how you can join our amazing and selfless volunteer team.

Needed WCHI Food Pantry items include hot and cold cereal, canned fruit in light or no syrup, canned soup (especially chicken noodle), canned vegetables, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and boxed pasta shapes like rigatoni, fettuccine and spaghetti (no elbow macaroni).

These donated items are greatly appreciated. Place them on the right side of the entry foyer at the RE/MAX Unlimited office, 1080 Schadt Ave., across from the post office.

Monetary donations, payable to WCHI, are also needed to purchase food and basic toiletries. Mail your check, payable to WCHI, to 1080 Schadt Ave., Whitehall, 18052.

WCHI and our guests thank all of our extraordinary volunteers!