The Western Lehigh Chamber of Commerce, proud partners of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, are thrilled to be partnering with the Parkland CARES Food Pantry for a grand opening celebration of their expanded facilities on April 24th, 2025.
Parkland CARES Food Pantry was established in 2019 to help address the growing issue of food insecurity in the Parkland community. Founded by a dedicated group of local individuals, the Pantry’s mission has been to provide nutritious food to individuals and families in need, with a particular focus on the over 33% of students affected by hunger in the region. Over the years, Parkland CARES has expanded its outreach to support seniors, veterans, and families with aging parents, ensuring that a wide range of community members receive the assistance they need to maintain their health and well-being.
After spending the last five years serving families outdoors due to pandemic-related challenges, Parkland CARES is excited to open its new Choice Pantry. This expanded and updated facility will give families more flexibility and control over their food selections, allowing them to choose items that best fit their preferences and dietary needs.
When asked about this grand opening event, Katrina Sundstrom, Executive Director of the pantry stated “We’re so excited to welcome the community into our newly expanded space! These updates are helping us reach more families and offer even better support to those in the Parkland area.” Parkland CARES is currently serving 150 families per month out of this newly renovated Choice Pantry space.
Another key program that Parkland CARES runs is the Snack Pack program in partnership with the Parkland School District. Each month during the school year, Parkland CARES is able to distribute 625 snack packs to students in the district to ensure they have something to eat for dinner, over the weekend, or over extended breaks from school like during the holidays. During the event, guests will be able to tour not only the Choice Pantry but also to Snack Packing space (previously the Snack Packing process was held at an off-sight facility).
“We are honored for the opportunity to work so closely with Parkland CARES and to support their mission”, stated Jessica O’Donnell-Gower, Executive Vice President of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce, Easton, Bethlehem and the Northern Tier. “We look forward to assisting with the debut of their new facility to the community and seeing the impact they are able to make on the area only continue to blossom.”
All are invited to attend this grand opening event which is scheduled for Thursday April 24th from 5:30 to 7:30PM. The ribbon cutting ceremonies will begin promptly at 6:00PM. To learn more about this event please visit https://web.lehighvalleychamber.org/events
When: April 24th, 2025 5:30PM to 7:30PM
Where: 5074 Kernsville Rd, Orefield, PA 18069
Pricing: FREE
About the Chamber: The mission of The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce is to improve the economy and quality of life in the Lehigh Valley Metropolitan Area. We accomplish this through business-to-business networking events and marketing products, affinity programs and exclusive, money saving member benefits, training programs, government affairs initiatives and public policy advocacy, and community development enterprises. With nearly 5,000 members who employ more than 200,000, the Chamber is the largest in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and in the top ten nationwide.
Information provided to TVL by:
Hayden Rinde
