The mission of Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative is to alleviate food insecurity in Whitehall Township and Coplay Borough.

Since 2015, our local community has realized, accepted and stepped up to help us reduce hunger for residents living in the Whitehall-Coplay School District. Many people, including compassionate volunteers, wonderful faith-based partners, food-drive organizers, WCSD students, local clubs and organizations, businesses, grocery stores and our residents have provided their time, talents and treasures.

WCHI could never feed as many guests as we do without all of you, Second Harvest Food Bank and the generous grant money approvals by both Lehigh County Board of Commissioners via Community Development Block Grants and the Trexler Trust trustees. WCHI thanks everyone!

WCHI has grown substantially since 2015. Together, with our partners mentioned above, we are making a difference in people’s lives. All our efforts are truly helping many local food-insecure children, adults and seniors. Two direct food programs we offer are our monthly food pantry distributions, which includes senior boxes, and our free community meals.

Kudos to the public for telling your family, friends and neighbors we are here to help. The following pantry statistics show the unduplicated residents attending the pantry Oct. 1, 2024-Sept. 30. WCHI fed 497 households, made up of 1,893 people.

The following statistics show you the number of households, the number of people living in those homes and their income levels: 21 households with 77 people earning moderate income; 139 households with 499 people earning low income; and 337 households with 1,317 people earning extremely low income.

The new 2025-26 form started Oct. 1.

In September 2025, the food pantry served 276 households, comprised of 336 children, 438 adults and 212 seniors, for a total 986 people. WCHI had a higher total number of people served in February with 1,339 and March with 1,341. Our lowest number was August with 942.

Some guests come every month, but not every registered guest comes monthly. Some don’t have transportation, some work during distribution times, some are called into work or are sick, some move out of the area and some go to nursing homes or pass away.

For a pantry appointment, call Pat at 610-442-1355.

The WCHI pantry needs any kind of canned soup and reusable store vinyl or cloth shopping bags. These can be dropped at the RE/MAX Unlimited office, 1080 Schadt Ave., Whitehall. Thank you for your support.

Senior boxes are provided to eligible seniors, based on government income limits. These amounts are lower than food pantry limits. Each eligible senior receives a 35-pound box of additional shelf-stable food when they pick up their pantry food. WCHI has 46 active recipients.

There is a government freeze on adding additional seniors right now to this program. For more information, call Gail at 610-351-6412.

Our free community meals are sponsored by our local faith-based community and others including Whitehall Active Community Center, Wawa, Coplay Eatery and Samuel Owens Restaurant and Bar. The meals are offered twice a month 4-6 p.m., and the host site location changes for each meal. WCHI posts the menu and other information for each specific meal on Facebook.

Our meal partners served 1,243 meals to those who attended from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30.

For more information, call Karen at 610-730-3184.