{"id":141863,"date":"2025-04-22T17:50:35","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T21:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=141863"},"modified":"2025-04-22T17:50:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T21:50:35","slug":"annual-food-drive-benefits-new-bethany-meals-on-wheels-of-the-greater-lehigh-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=141863","title":{"rendered":"Annual Food Drive Benefits New Bethany, Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

The \u201cSpring into Giving\u201d food drive is an annual community-focused event that supports local food pantries.<\/em><\/p>\n

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (April 22, 2025)-<\/strong> New Bethany, Inc<\/a>., a local nonprofit that provides nutritious food access, housing and social services, will serve as a beneficiary along with Meals on<\/a> Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley<\/a>, for this year\u2019s Spring into Giving Helping Hour food drive on Wednesday, May 14, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Meals on Wheels in Allentown.<\/p>\n

“The annual Spring into Giving food drive has become a cornerstone of our community\u2019s support network, and the contributions it generates make a profound impact on the families and individuals we serve,\u201d said Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley Executive Director Erik McGaughey. “We are thrilled to be a co-beneficiary this year with New Bethany, and look forward to another year working to ensure Lehigh Valley residents have access to nutritious food.\u201d<\/p>\n

BrightStar Care of Stroudsburg & Allentown<\/a>, Amedisys Hospice<\/a>, Meals On Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley and Friends of Pete partner annually to host the food drive, which benefits a different food pantry each year.<\/p>\n

“Alongside Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley, New Bethany plays a vital role in addressing food insecurity in our community,\u201d said BrightStar Care of Stroudsburg & Allentown\u2019s Community Liaison Dale Wilson. \u201cThis partnership highlights the incredible work both organizations do to provide essential resources to those in need, and we are proud to support these efforts in such a meaningful way.”<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s community food drive will include networking, snacks, prizes and tastings courtesy of Bar H<\/a>, Sherman Street Beer Company<\/a> and Tolino Vineyards<\/a>. Local businesses and organizations from the Midway Manor Community Association will be on location.<\/p>\n

Community members are invited to attend the event and bring food donations. Donation items specifically requested are:<\/p>\n

\u2012 Instant oatmeal\u2014 Flavor variety, 10 packets per box<\/p>\n

\u2012 Peanut butter\u2014 Individual cups or pouches<\/p>\n

\u2012 Tuna in a pouch<\/p>\n

\u2012 Chicken in a pouch<\/p>\n

\u2012 Reduced sodium soup\u2014 Chicken noodle or vegetable in an easy-open 18.5 ounce can<\/p>\n

\u2012 Fruit in easy-open cans<\/p>\n

\u2012 Fruit cups in light syrup<\/p>\n

\u2012 Shelf-stable milk\u2014 Individual boxes<\/p>\n

\u2012 Peanut butter crackers<\/p>\n

This year marks the sixth \u201cSpring into Giving\u201d food drive, which began in 2021. It has since grown exponentially over the years, becoming a significant community event. The 2024 food drive, which benefited ProJeCt Easton<\/a>, attracted over 250 attendees.<\/p>\n

“This initiative exemplifies the power of working together to make a better Lehigh Valley for all, which is at the heart of New Bethany\u2019s mission,\u201d said New Bethany\u2019s Executive Director Marc Rittle. \u201cPartnering with other local organizations to address food insecurity allows us to extend our reach and better serve our neighbors who rely on New Bethany\u2019s support.\u201d<\/p>\n

Individuals who cannot attend on the day of the food drive can drop off donations before or after the event at Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley, 1302 N. Sherman St. in Allentown.<\/p>\n

Information on sponsorship opportunities for local businesses that would like to get involved is available at https:\/\/mowglv.org\/news-more\/events\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

About New Bethany, Inc.<\/h1>\n

New Bethany, Inc., celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2025, offers hope and support to neighbors experiencing poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness in the Lehigh Valley. Formerly known as New Bethany Ministries, the organization was founded in March 1985 and has provided over 1.1 million meals and assisted more than 2,000 residents through its housing programs. New Bethany believes that all people, regardless of circumstances, should be treated with dignity and care without judgment. No one who seeks help is turned away.<\/p>\n

New Bethany offers wraparound services designed to remove barriers and assist individuals and families in reaching self-sufficiency. It starts with a meal and other street-level human services, including showers, laundry services, mailing address, and access to the Choice Food Pantry, and continues with housing assistance, job search support and tools and case management.<\/p>\n

To learn more, visit www.newbethany.org<\/a> or find New Bethany on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram @NewBethanyLV.<\/p>\n

Information provided to TVL by:
\nAmiee Goldy
\nwww.socialtmarketing.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The \u201cSpring into Giving\u201d food drive is an annual community-focused event that supports local food pantries. BETHLEHEM, Pa. (April 22, 2025)- New Bethany, Inc., a local nonprofit that provides nutritious … Continue reading Annual Food Drive Benefits New Bethany, Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":141578,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[69,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-141863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-valley","category-press-release-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/new-bethany-40.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141863"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=141863"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141863\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/141578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=141863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=141863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=141863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}