Holes in the Safety Net

One of the great things about this country, up until now, is that there's a safety net for families in dire financial straights. But authoritarian Donald Trump is cutting holes in it.  His council of economic advisers have declared that we've won the war on poverty, but that's what he likes to call "fake news." 

Let's look at the Lehigh Valley. According to a recent analysis by The National Association of Counties, $46.6 million in SNAP benefits (we used to call them food stamps) were paid in 2017 to 11,700 households.  In Lehigh County, $73.6 Million was paid to 18,700 families.  The number of children living below the poverty line was 8,531 in Northampton and 14,900 in Lehigh.

Under current law, an adult without dependents can only receive three months of SNAP benefits over a three year period unless enrolled in job training or school.

Under the latest farm bill, these benefits will be reduced about 1.7% over the next ten years.   

Tales of a Meals on Wheels Driver

Dale Sourbeck

When he was sworn in on Tuesday as Northampton County Executive, Lamont McClure made clear in a very brief address what bothers him most- children and elderly people who are at risk. He has good reason. Just two weeks before he assumed office, Pennsylvania's Department of Aging gave Northampton County a failing grade for its response to elder abuse complaints. One investigator was saddled with a caseload three times the state mandated limit.

Unfortunately, our elderly really are at risk,and that  point was brought home at last night's County Council meeting by Dale Sourbeck. He is a volunteer with Meals on Wheels, and delivers every day. In fact, he heps train new volunteer drivers.

In addition to providing 500,000 meals a year, Sourbeck said he can check in on people and make sure everything is OK. On four occasions over the past six years, he found his clients lying on the floor, unable to get up. On two occasions, these people had fallen and and just laid there the entire weekend, unattended. in one instance, a person was unconscious. In another, a woman had passed away.

In addition to finding people in physical distress, there have been instances in which clients have complained that relatives are stealing money. He has made referrals in those instances. 

As baby boomers reach retirement age, you might think meals and wheels is well-funded. But in 2017, there were 23 million fewer meals served than in 2005.

Susquehanna Bank To Donate 147,000 Meals to Food Banks

We usually think of the Bank as the Bad Guy. But Susquehanna Bank has pledged to donate 147,000 meals to food banks in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia as part of its #30DaysofThanks campaign.

The Lancaster County-based bank is donating 30 meals for each personal checking account opened in November, along with five meals for each like, share, retweet and comment on its 'Today I'm Thankful for' posts on Facebook and Twitter last month. During Thanksgiving week, Susquehanna doubled its donations to 60 and 10 meals, respectively.

Susquehanna has been involved in online campaigns to feed the hungry since 2010. It has donated more than 1.3 million meals to food banks through Tweet2Feed, MillionMeal Mission and #30DaysofThanks.

Food banks partnering with Susquehanna this year include: The Central PA Food Bank, Greater Berks (County) Food Bank, Philabundance, Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and NEPA, The Weinberg Food Bank, Maryland Food Bank, Mountaineer Food Bank (West Virginia), Community Food Bank of New Jersey - Southern Branch, and Food Bank of South Jersey.

Angels in the Outfield

Megan Brown and Dana Pollock - angels in the outfield

Juniors Megan Brown and Dana Pollock are outfielders on Freedom High School's winning softball team. But they're angels in the outfield. Thanks to their effort, they were able to collect enough food to replenish the empty food shelves at New Bethany Ministries' food bank, located on Bethlehem's South side.

Megan, whose mother Marie is a volunteer at the food bank, toured the facility with Dana. "The shelves were really empty," noted Dana. So the two of them, with the help of their teammates, recently organized a food drive and brought for the 500 families who depend on the food bank for three days worth of food every month.

The food collected filled two SUVs.

"They always need food, not just during the holidays," observed Megan.

FHS Softball Team during practice, coached by Nora Borger

MOW Teams Up With Subaru For Hungry Seniors

Meals on wheels?

Bethlehem, PA (December 12, 2013 – January 2, 2014) – Meals On Wheels of Northampton County is proud to announce its partnership with Faulkner Subaru in Bethlehem this holiday season to help put an end to senior hunger. Meals On Wheels will be “Stuffing a Subaru” with white paper bags depicting their cold bag dinners. Customers can guess how many stuffed white bags are in the car at the Faulkner Subaru dealership. The person guessing the number correctly wins a prize assortment of gift cards and items.

 This local effort is part of the Meals On Wheels Association of America’s participation in the national Subaru of America, Inc. “Share the Love” event, designed as a way for Subaru dealers to give back to their local communities.

The Subaru “Share the Love” event for Meals On Wheels of Northampton County runs from December 12, 2013 to January 2, 2014.  The dealer will donating $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased during “Share the Love” to the customer's choice of charity, including Meals On Wheels. Over the past six years, proceeds from the Subaru “Share the Love” event have provided funds to support the Meals On Wheels vision to end senior hunger.

In addition, the county MOW id eligible for a grant of up to $35,000. This can provide much needed support to help provide nutritious meals to homebound seniors in Northampton County.

"We are honored to be part of ‘Share the Love’ for a sixth straight year," said Association President and CEO Ellie Hollander. "Subaru recognizes the importance of giving back to the communities it serves. Working together, Meals On Wheels and Subaru are helping to provide more than just a meal; we’re bringing warmth and compassion to so many hungry and homebound seniors who would otherwise go without.”

GOP House Cuts Food Assistance to Children, Vets

The House yesterday approved legislation that will knock $39 billion off our food stamp program, known technically as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, up to 3.8 million people will lose food stamp benefits next year. Currently, one out of every seven Americans receive benefits.

Every Democrat in the House opposed this cut, but the measure passed by a 217-210 vote, though it appears unlikely that it has any likelihood of success in the Democratically-controlled Senate.

Congressman Matt Cartwright, who represents half of the Lehigh Valley, decried a bill "that will take the food out the mouths of nearly 4 million Americans next year." In a statement denouncing a "draconian" measure, the Scranton-based Congressman adds that this Bill will cut school lunches for over 200,000 children as well as food assistance to 170,000 veterans.

Congressman Charlie Dent, who represents the remainder of the Lehigh Valley, was undecided about this bill but voted with his party, mainly to get it to a conference committee so that a larger Farm bill can be adopted. He predicted that cuts in the final bill will be closer to $6 billion, as opposed to the $39 billion in thhe House version.

He supports a provision imposing work requirements on able-bodied adults without dependents. "I'm fine with that," he noted. He also pointed out that food assistance to children and veterans would come through other programs.

Alan Jennings, whose Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley operates the Second Harvest Food Bank, distributed a record seven million pounds of food last year. "Wwe need more support, not less," he observed. "The proposal by radicals in the House who have bullied the moderates into submission is an attack on working people whose only offense is that their skills are of little value in an increasingly complex, harsh and unforgiving marketplace."

Updated 9/25/13. 

Nearly 30,000 Lehigh Valley Children Are Hungry

It's been a tough year for me physically. A troublesome Achilles tendon forced a 2-month layoff this Winter. After building myself back to where I was able to ride my bike to work, for just one week, I pulled my back installing a new air conditioner. Another six weeks off. Now that it is 10,000 degrees outside, I can finally return to "training," which at this time of year mostly consists of short walks, late at night or early in the morning.

Yesterday, while hoofing it up Main Street at around 7:30 AM, I was shocked by the number of people lined up at the Nazareth Food Bank, waiting for it to open. At least thirty people were patiently waiting. As I continued up the hill, three more people made their way down with little food carts.

One of them is my next door neighbor.

Lehigh County Exec candidate Scott Ott complained last year about spending federal grant money to feed 85 year old women. Although I respect his desire to reduce the federal deficit, he's not the one starving to death.

In my post about that topic, several readers accused me of hyperbole, although that is pretty much what Ott said. But others among you flatly deny that hunger is a problem.

If that were true, there would be no line at the Nazareth Food Bank.

Now I don't really give a shit about the urbanistas who want little City gardens for their Summer salads. But I do care about people who are hungry. I imagine that even Scott Ott cares, too. According to a 2011  FeedAmerica report, "food insecurity" affected 34,670 people in Northampton County and 45,190 people in Lehigh County. Nearly 30,000 of these were children.

If you would like to find a food bank in your area, you can enter your zip code in the Second Harvest webpage. 

Nazareth Food Bank: How Does Your Garden Grow?

Nazareth Area Food Bank, which serves about 300 families in the school district, has started a garden, located right across the street from the food bank on lands made available by Essroc.

I stopped by today to see if I could steal anything.

Nothing is quite ready. But cabbages, potatoes and tomatoes are making their way in a beautiful, weed-free garden. This garden, cleaner than my apartment, seems to have borrowed many of the proud traditions brought here by the Pennsylvania Dutch.

Lehigh Prof to Discuss Local Hunger and Public Health on Wednesday

Does Bethlehem have a hunger problem? With farmers' markets and Bottom Dollars everywhere, is there a lack of access to fresh and affordable food? Do we have health problems related to asthma, local air pollution, obesity and diabetes?

According to Lehigh University's Breena Holland (associate professor of political science), we have all those problems.

This Wednesday, 7 PM, at Bethlehem Town Hall (10 E. Church St.), Dr. Holland will deliver the first of the 2012 series of Town Hall Lectures, hosted by the South Side Initiative of Lehigh University and the City of Bethlehem. She's calling it "Environmental Justice, Food Security, and Public Health: A Future For Bethlehem." 

Professor Holland will draw on her research to offer a vision for making Bethlehem a more environmentally equitable and healthy community.

This event is free, open to the public and will be followed by a discussion between audience members and the presenter.

CACLV: One in Five LV Households With Children Are Hungry

From CACLV: - Lehigh Valley, PA, August 11, 2011 – More than 1 in 5 households with children in the Lehigh Valley area struggle to afford enough food, according to a report released today by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). The study was organized along the geographic boundaries of U.S. Congressional districts in order to demonstrate the importance of public policy in addressing the issue.  The Fifteenth District, represented by U.S. Rep. Charles W. Dent, includes all of Lehigh and Northampton counties.  The study covered 2008 through 2010 and was obviously impacted by the current economy.

In other districts served by the Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania, the Eleventh Congressional District, represented by U. S. Rep. Lou Barletta, one in four families with children struggled to have an adequate supply of food and in the Tenth Congressional District, represented by U. S. Rep. Tom Marino, more than one in five households with children were similarly challenged.

Pennsylvania reported alarming rates of food hardship—the inability to afford enough food—among children across all 19 of its Congressional Districts. Of the nation’s 436 Congressional districts, the First District, represented by U.S. Rep. Bob Brady ranks second-worst for food hardship among households with children. Other southeast Pennsylvania districts also fared poorly.  (See the chart below.)

“Children are the innocent victims of this nation’s failure to provide for the neediest people among us,” said Ann McManus, Director of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania. “This report reminds us that the safety net of food and nutrition program needs to be strengthened so that everyone, especially children, can have an adequate diet. But, the threats that are looming as Congress contemplates drastic domestic cuts are real. Congress needs to realize that SNAP (formerly known as food stamps), the Women Infants and Children’s Supplemental Feeding Program (WIC), school meals, and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) need to be fully funded.”

Data from the report came from a Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index project, which has interviewed more than 1 million households since January 2008. Households were asked: “Have there been times in the past 12 months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?” In the U.S. as a whole, 18 percent of all households polled responded yes; in households with children, that figure reached more than 23 percent. In Pennsylvania, food hardship among households with children is nearly 22 percent.   

“America is failing its families with children.  Here at the local level we are doing the best we can, but there is no way our best is enough without effective public policies,” says Alan Jennings, executive director of the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, whose agency operates the Second Harvest Food Bank. He continues that “children, and adults, who are not getting enough good food to eat are less productive, less able to go about their daily tasks. The risks to their health and well-being have consequences for all of us. We shouldn’t be surprised if, 15 years from now, the children on whom we turned our backs, turn their backs on society.”

*The following table lists food hardship rates for every Congressional District in Pennsylvania.

Food Hardship Rates for Households with Children in Every Congressional District in Pennsylvania

Representative	Food Hardship Rate 2008-2010
Robert A. Brady	49.6
Chaka Fattah	32.2
Mike Kelly	26.3
Jason Altmire	18.9
Glenn Thompson	24.8
Jim Gerlach	14.7
Patrick Meehan	15.0
Michael Fitzpatrick	11.9
Bill Shuster	21.2
Tom Marino	22.4
Lou Barletta	26.0
Mark Critz	22.7
Allyson Schwartz	14.6
Michael Doyle	25.4
Charles Dent	21.6
Joseph Pitts	18.1
Tim Holden	19.7
Tim Murphy	17.5
Todd Russell Platts	19.6

LV Food Banks: Help Before the Cupboards are Bare

According to Gary Millspaugh, exec director of Allentown Rescue Mission, a lot of pressure will be placed on LV food banks once school lets out. A large percentage of kids in Allentown (and elsewhere in the Lehigh Valley) take advantage of free breakfast and lunch while at school. Obviously, this option will not be available over the summer when the schools are closed. Rising food and gas prices place a huge strain on lower income families, who will turn to local food banks for help. But our food banks already have a low inventory.

This is a problem that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Allentown Rescue Mission has already decided to allocate $24,000 for six local food banks, which comes down to $1,000 per week for the first month of the summer. The idea was to give them gift cards from local grocers (such as Giant and Wegmans) so the food bank could purchase the items they needed rather than rely on donated items that might not be the best fit. Millspaugh will attempt to get these stores to supply $500 cards for $450 or even $400. Our Executive Director (ED) planned to handle the negotiations to see if that could be done.

In addition to the good work being done by the rescue mission, reader Karenemt has informed me that a new food bank will be opening on June 7 at Salem United Methodist Church, 1401 W Linden St, Allentown, PA 18102 Phone (610) 432-2577. It will be open the first and third Saturdays of each month, running from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday hours make it possible to to reach the "working poor," who may have needs but are unable to access a food pantry during the typical daytime hours. This will be a "choose your own" food from what is available food bank versus the "prebagged" food type.

Below you will find a listing of all local food banks and soup kitchens (sp) that I can find. If you know of any that aren't listed here, please let me know so I can add it. My goal is to create a permanent link to area food banks on my left sidebar.

Agape food bank
5229 Route 873
Schnecksville, Pa 18078
610-767-2482

Allentown Ecumenical Food Bank
421 W. Chew St or 534 W. Chew(admin)
Allentown, Pa 18102
Linda Gentile
610-821-1332
610-439-8039
lccc@lcconfchurch.org
610-433-6421(lccc)

Allentown Rescue Mission
355 W. Hamilton St, Allentown, PA
(You can drop off food and supplies at the Mission any week day, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., or call Bill Dickinson at 610-740-5500, ext. 14, for other times or arrangements.)

Bethel Bible Fellowship Church
418 Elm St.
Emmaus, Pa 18049
610-965-2682

Catasauqua/Community Partnership Food Bank
122 Union St.
Catasauqua, Pa 18032
610-264-8366

Central Food Bank
829 Turner St.
Allentown, Pa 18102
610-165-4815

Grace Episcopal Church
5th & Linden
Allentown, Pa 18102
Patricia McNamara, Director
610-435-7245
Gracefoodbank@aol.com

Jefferson place food pantry
750 St. John St.
Allentown, Pa
484-165-4429

Jewish family services food bank
2004 Allen St.
Allentown, PA
484-165-4429

Jordan Lutheran Church
5103 Snowdrift Rd.
Orefield, Pa
610-395-5912
610-395-2423
jordanlutheran@verizon.net

Meals on Wheels - Lehigh County
4234 Dorney Park Rd.
Allentown, Pa 18104
Pamela Bechtel, Executive Director
610-398-2563
610-398-7088

Meals on Wheels - Northampton County/Bethlehem area
4240 Fritch Drive
Bethlehem, Pa 18020
Jim Waters, Development
610-691-1030
610-691-1775
jimw@meanlsonwheelspa.org

Mosser Village Family Center
614 S. Carlisle St.
Allentown, Pa 18109
610-820-5504

Nazareth Area Food Bank,
St. John’s Lutheran Church,
200 S. Broad Street,
Nazareth, PA 18064.
Contact Elizabeth Huth, director (610-759-0821) or Jim Byrnes, president of the board of directors (610-923-0821).

New Bethany EC Everlasting Life Ministries
224 N. 6th St.
Allentown, Pa 18102
610-434-1477

New Bethany Ministries
337 Wyandotte St.
Bethlehem, Pa 18015
Reverend Bill Kuntze, Exec Dir.
610-691-5602
610-866-3427
newbethany@newbethanyministries.org

Northampton Area Food Bank
1601 Canal Street
Northampton, Pa 18067
Pamela Kametz
610-262-8030

Northern Lehigh Food Bank
7884 Center St.
Slatington/Emerald, Pa 18080
Dale Breyfogle
610-767-9525

Salem United Methodist Church,
1401 W Linden St, Allentown, PA 18102
Phone (610) 432-2577

Salvation Army
144 N. Eighth St.
Allentown, Pa 18101
Capt Thomas Dressler
610-432-0129
610-432-8149
EPA_AllentownCitadel@use.salvationarmy.org

Second Harvest Food Bank of LV & NE Pa
2045 Harvest Way
Allentown, Pa 18104
Ann McManus, Director
610-434-0875
610-435-9540
amcmanus@caclv.org

Sk - Ecumenical kitchen
179 Chew St.
Allentown, Pa 18102
Mrs. Mildred Scrak
610-866-8660

Sk - Mollard Hospitality Center -New Bethany Ministries
337 Wyandotte St.
Bethlehem, Pa 18015
610-691-5602
610-866-3427

Sk - Salvation Army
521 Pembroke Road
Bethlehem, Pa 18018
James Labbe
610-867-4681

Sk - St Paul Evangelical Lutheran Chruch
36 S. 8th St.
Allentown, Pa 18101
Charles Brannon LC Conf of Churches, SK Coord
610-435-9065
cbrannon@lcconfchurch.org
484-664-2994

South Bethlehem Neighborhood Center
700 Evans St.
Bethlehem, Pa 18105
Angela Baez
610-865-1791
610-865-4605

St Stephan's Episcopal Church/Whitehall Food Bank
3900 Mechanicsville Rd.
Whitehall, Pa 18052
Donna Scott
610-435-3901
610-262-6686 DS

Sk - Trinity Episcopal Soup Kitchen
44 East Market St.
Bethlehem, Pa 18018
Reverand Elizabeth Miller, Deacon and Soup Kitchen Coordinator
610-867-4741
610-867-5206
liz@trinitybeth.org

West Bethlehem Food Bank
514 3rd St.
Bethlehem, Pa 18018
Suzanne Beam
610-865-8216

LV Food Banks Need Our Help

"In this country, there's no good reason for a mom and kids to be hungry."

Those are the words of Allentown Rescue Mission's gaunt exec director, Gary Millspaugh. I met him and Lehigh County Commissioner Dean Browning this morning at some ungodly hour for ... breakfast. At the time he said that, I was stuffing my face with a feta cheese omelet.

"Hey Gary, the owner here would like to see you about a donation."

As Millspaugh went in to the kitchen, Dean and I finished off his eggs. There's no good reason for us to be hungry either, and Gary is skinny, so he's used to not eating.

Gary is one of those very rare gems who really cares about other people. He has some wonderful ideas to help Allentown's homeless and very poor, and I'm going to tell you about that in the next few days. But there's a bigger issue he wants me to tell you about now.

Most of the low income kids going to school get free breakfasts and lunches. In fact, some of the young ladies depend on the school nurse for feminine hygiene products. Their mothers can't afford to give them more than one item, if that.

In about three weeks, school will be over. Low income moms will be going to their local food banks. But the cupboards are bare. The rising cost of food and fuel is hurting people everywhere. It especially hurts the poor, who have to decide whether to pay the electric bill or eat. Unfortunately, people right here in the Lehigh Valley are hungry.

The food banks need help. Gary asks that, when you do your grocery shopping, to pick up a few extra items and drop them off at the local food bank. Here are some of the Lehigh Valley food banks.

Allentown Rescue Mission, 355 W. Hamilton St, Allentown, PA (You can drop off food and supplies at the Mission any week day, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., or call Bill Dickinson at 610-740-5500, ext. 14, for other times or arrangements.)

Salvation Army of Bethlehem, 521 Pembroke Rd, Bethlehem, PA 18018. Phone: 610-867-4681.

Northampton Area Food Bank, 1601 Canal Street, Northampton, PA. Phone: 610-262-8030.

Nazareth Area Food Bank, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 200 S. Broad Street, Nazareth, PA 18064. Contact Elizabeth Huth, director (610-759-0821) or Jim Byrnes, president of the board of directors (610-923-0821).

Bethany E.C. Church, 224 N 6th St, Allentown, PA 18102. Phone: 610-434-1477.

Lehigh County Conference of Churches, 8th and Walnut, Allentown, PA. Phone: 610-462-4984;

New Bethany Ministries, 333 W 4th St, Bethlehem, PA 18015. Phone: 610-691-5602 x27;

Second Harvest Food Bank, 2045 Harvest Way, Allentown, PA 18104. Phone: 610-434-0875;

These are the most needed food and non-perishable items:

Canned Foods
Fruits and Juices
Meat (spam, tuna, deviled ham, chicken, turkey)
Meat Meals (chili, beef stew, chicken and dumplings)
Canned Pasta meals
Pork and Beans
Soups
Tomatoes and Vegetables

Baby and Other Needs
Baby Food and Formula
Diapers
Breakfast Cereal
Boxed Meals
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Pasta and Sauces
Rice

If you know of any Lehigh Valley food banks that I've missed, please let me know in the comments. I'd like to create a permanent link to all local food banks.

Food Drive For Local Food Banks This Friday

Thanks to the rising cost of gas, working people and low income families are struggling just to eat. Local food banks and pantries are running out of food.

Wal-Mart has offered to help, and a food drive will be held on Friday, April 25th 2008, from noon to 6 p.m., at the Wal-Mart on MacArthur Road in Whitehall.

These are the most needed food and non-perishable items:

Canned Foods
Fruit
Juice
Meat (spam, tuna, deviled ham, chicken, turkey & beef)
Meat meals (chili, beef stew, chicken & dumplings)
Pasta
Pork and beans
Soups
Tomato
Vegetables

Other Food Items
Baby Food
Baby Formula
Betty Crocker Complete Meal Dinners
Bottled juice
Boxed potatoes (scalloped & mashed)
Cereal
Corn breads
Crackers
Diapers
Jello
Macaroni & Cheese
Pasta
Pasta Sauces
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Personal Care Items
Powdered milk
Pudding
Quick breads
Ramen Noodles
Rice

This food drive will benefit the following food banks: Salvation Army of Bethlehem, Bethlehem, PA; Northampton Area Food Bank, Northampton, PA; Bethany E.C. Church Food Bank, Allentown, PA; Lehigh County Conference of Churches, Allentown, PA ; New Bethany Ministries, Bethlehem, PA; Allentown Rescue Mission, Allentown, PA.

Bethlehem's Salvation Army Needs to Beef Up Food Bank

Bethlehem's Salvation Army (921 Pembroke Road) has asked me to publish this news release.

BETHLEHEM, PA (Immediate Release) – The Bethlehem Salvation Army food pantry serves
an average of 60 families each month.

Recently, the cache of donations coming into the nonprofit has been primarily snack foods, according to Captain Alison Joy Labbe. She is appealing to the public, groups and businesses to help beef up the pantry with donations of nutritious non-perishables including canned meats, beans, soups, vegetables and fruits plus stables such as rice and pasta.

“People need complete nutritious meals,” says Labbe. She adds, "Our main concern right now is being able to provide Easter dinner to those who are in need." Organizations such as the Salvation Army need to help provide the needy with nutritious meals on a daily basis. The demand will continue to increase through the spring and summer. With the downturn of the economy, the need for wholesome food donations may climb higher.

“The Salvation Army receives food donations from an area food bank, but it hasn’t been enough in recent months,” says Captain Labbe. The Salvation Army is appealing to school and scout groups, volunteer groups, clubs, grocery stores and other food pantries in the area, to help with the shortage.

For information on how to donate non-perishable foods to the Salvation Army, call the Bethlehem Salvation Army at (610) 867-4681, or a Salvation Army office nearest you.

LCDC to Collect Food for Hungry and Hold Rally on October 12

To seize control of the state House in the land of midnight payraises, Democrats need a net gain of only eight seats. That's why Blue Collar Casey's race matters. That's why Russ Shade is the upstart to defeat Harhart. You can meet these and other terrific candidates like Joe Brennan on October 12 at a Lehigh County Democratic Rally at 7 P.M., 2101 Mack Blvd., Allentown, PA 18103.

Price of admission? Two food items for local families in need. As Blue Collar Casey Sr. told his son, "We don't eat if they're hungry."

That's one special interest many incumbent Republicans have forgotten.