We have recently learned the funding for the Healthy Pantry Initiative program across the state will officially end Sept. 30. Our nutrition educator, Kim, met with me in March to outline how our pantry will continue to follow the standards that we have established through our previous meetings and online Zoom discussions with other pantries in the state.

Some of our volunteers have also talked with me about the strategies used at Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative that earned us the “healthy pantry” designation, so I will share with you the things that make us stand out from many other pantries.

Guests are able to choose which items they want for their families. Healthy items are at the beginning of the shopping line.

Our canned fruit, vegetables and proteins are priority items in the selection process. We also offer fresh produce at every distribution, and we display the items that are available. Some produce we receive from Second Harvest Food Bank, but we also have our own garden and the vegetables and herbs grown are offered in the pantry as well as at the free community meals coordinated by WCHI.

We have also occasionally given out cooking or gardening materials like bundles of herbs and plants to grow at home. These fresh items are greatly appreciated by many families.

Signage throughout the pantry shows the “My Plate” method of healthy portions. We have shelf markers to indicate healthy items, high fiber, whole grain, low sodium, etc., and we use a system of placing healthier items on upper shelves and items that are lower on the “healthy” scale on lower shelves. Volunteers assist our guests in selecting healthy choices while shopping.

Great relationships have developed between many of our guests and volunteers, and we are able to discuss ingredients and preferences and share recipes and food preparation tips in our trip around the pantry.

We maintain an appearance of abundance. Our shelves are well stocked, and our guests don’t need to worry we will run out of food before it’s their turn to shop.

We have adequate shelving in our shopping area, as well as in our pallet storage area, to replenish items throughout the day. We are also very fortunate to have cold storage so we are able to offer refrigerated and frozen items on a regular basis.

The items change depending on what Second Harvest is able to offer us, but we all work hard to provide a variety of meats, vegetables, dairy products and, recently, even some frozen pastries and sandwiches from Starbucks.

We also have fliers displaying community resources and services, such as farmers markets, SNAP access and free community meals locations.

I always enjoy discussions with Kim because we share a love of food and nutrition and, in this case, we also love to share it with others who may be in the beginning of their nutrition education. This particular chat was a good reminder of the many ways that our team is doing a good job of supporting our neighbors.

Not all pantries give out produce or follow a “choice” model. It was good to be reminded that “healthy is a spectrum” and not everyone is recipe savvy but can still make a healthier choice that fits their lifestyle. Extremes are not appropriate for everyone.

We serve a variety of people who face a lot of stress associated with the cycle of food insecurity and health. We should always encourage small changes and continue to be part of a support system.

Perhaps the best advice we can all follow is that perfection isn’t always the goal. For many people, the ability to make a healthy choice on a hard day might be a great accomplishment. Some is better than none, and we can just do what we can on any given day.

We have been complimented and thanked by our guests for many of these practices, and I am proud of our team for the ways we work together to present a great variety of foods for our neighbors, and we will continue to follow our healthy pantry model.

Editor’s note: This column was written by Jenn Dietz, Healthy Pantry Initiative chair.