As the doors to the community center in Eldred opened to the public on Saturday, dozens of Monroe County residents entered.

Volunteer Kara Salerno said, “There were exactly 88 individuals waiting to enter when the center opened its doors at 10 a.m.”The West End Food Pantry collaborated with Second Harvest of Lehigh Valley.Monroe County pantry Director and chair Karena Thek said she has been doing this since she “was a kid,” but this initiative was new.Thek continues this endeavor working alongside Pleasant ValleyEcumenical Network; however, this time around combining services with Second Harvest of Lehigh Valley has made it possible for a pantry program to take place “in areas that have not been included in the past” Thek said.Including Monroe County, Second Harvest of Lehigh Valley has been feeding the hungry in six counties throughout eastern Pennsylvania.The Eldred pantry operated from 9 a.m. to noon, keeping at a steady pace once the rush slowed down.Volunteer Shirley A. Krum of Polk Township said, “You can always tell when the turnout is going to be high when you look at how many volunteers there are.”Thek said, “as many as 25 locals have volunteered to greet and assist those who were in need of food and nonfood items.”In the waiting room, people were shopping for items such as nail polish, cosmetics, clothing and other beauty aids, making the process a little more cohesive by cutting down the wait time as much as possible.Volunteer Beverly Mosteller said, “Each individual receives a card that is color coded to indicate how many people are in the family.”“This includes dogs or any other pets, because they, too, are important to the families.”Mosteller said that any child under the age of 12, whose birthday is within a reasonable time frame, also receives a birthday cake.The giving doesn’t stop there.“Lovely Easter baskets donated by the locals filled with candy and treats are also being given to children,” Mosteller said.State Rep. Jack Rader attended and said, “There is a great need for this purpose in Monroe County, as in most areas.”Rader’s constituent outreach specialist Nancy Parks was on hand to “educate and inform people … to lend a hand to people in need or put them in contact with those who can offer assistance.”Parks said the last time she attended a function such as this she spoke with at least 35 people who needed assistance with paying their electric bills.“We make it a priority to attend these programs so we can offer help.”Another major food provider for the Eldred food pantry was Hunter Sharing Harvest.Monroe County coordinator John Nash said that Hunter Sharing, a state-funded program, has been donating deer meat to community food banks for years, but this was the first time for Eldred.“Last year alone,” Nash said, “the program donated 97,000 pounds of deer meat to food pantries throughout Pennsylvania.“Now that deer meat is offered, along with chicken, pork and beef, there’s more variety and more mouths to feed,” Nash said.One hour training is available to anyone interested in volunteering for the West End Food Pantry.For more information, go to the West End Food Pantry Facebook page or email Thek at

karenathek@me.com.Help unloading truck deliveries, reaching out to local businesses for donations, or raising funds are always needed.