A Lehighton-based church that aims to serve those in need of food in the community is celebrating 55 years of service this weekend.

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church’s Food Pantry in Lehighton has served thousands of people over the last five decades who have had trouble putting enough food on the table due to lack of funds.

On Thursday, the Carbon County Board of Commissioners recognized these men and women who have given their time and talents to the nonprofit organization to help the residents of Carbon County. They presented a group of volunteers with a proclamation naming May 1 as “Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Appreciation Day” in Carbon County.

Carolyn Long, coordinator for the pantry, spoke to the board about the operations and said none of it would have been possible without dedicated volunteers showing up weekly to secure food items and distribute to area residents.

“It has been a pleasure of ours,” Long said. “I have a fantastic group of volunteers. Right now, it takes about 30 volunteers a month to make this pantry run, but we love it. ... It’s a great group of people.”

Commissioner Rocky Ahner, who has worked to secure more funding or donations of food for area pantries over the years, said that Trinity does an outstanding job for the Lehighton community.

“If it wasn’t for them, this wouldn’t happen without Trinity starting this,” he said, noting that they were influential in bringing the food pantry initiative throughout the county.

Monthly, food pantries service approximately 1,000 families in Carbon County, with Trinity providing food to 400 families each month.

“Without your start, the whole county would have been lacking. Thank you very much for what Trinity has done and for the workers who are there.”

Trinity’s food pantry began as a ministry in 1970 in the church’s library after Eleanor Zern saw a need in the community. As the need grew, parishioners, community groups and other organizations helped it expand from serving the Lehighton community into a countywide program in 1984.

The pantry continued to flourish grew into additional space that was provided by the church in 1991 and 2001.

Today, under the leadership of Long and her volunteers, residents are supported as best they can with nutritious foods.

Georgia Farrow of the Weatherly area said that Trinity has been influential to many other organizations, outlining the Lehighton and Weatherly American Legions, which provides food services to veterans in need.

“The need is there for food,” she said.

Long agreed, noting that her group actively goes out into the community to create contacts with area businesses to obtain food that would otherwise be thrown out.

“It’s amazing what food we get that would have been thrown in the garbage,” she said.

From this initiative, the pantry volunteers make up weekly produce boxes from whatever they were able to get to distribute before it goes bad, as well as a bag of frozen meat and “mish mash” boxes of whatever other items they secured.

Long noted that when the pandemic started, the pantry began adding special kids’ bags that include nutritious food, as well as some goodies.

“Sometimes we have cookies and kids need cookies,” she said with a laugh. “We do whatever comes up.”

Long then introduced some of the volunteers who came with her to the commissioners’ meeting. They included Shirley Radler, Sandy Muffley, Sharon Mikulski, Carol O’Brien and Cindy Macsay.

It was noted that Muffley is the longest-serving volunteer still working with the pantry, beginning to serve as a member in 1987.

The county also highlighted one of their own, Caleb Carpenter, who is Long’s grandson and a volunteer at Trinity Pantry as well.

Long will now take the proclamation back to Trinity to include in the special presentation on Sunday during the 9:30 a.m. worship service at Trinity Lutheran, located at the corner of Third and Iron streets.

During that time, volunteers will receive a blessing of thanks and gratitude for their dedication over the last 55 years and a light brunch will follow in Luther Hall.

The food pantry is one of nine pantries affiliated with Shepherd House Inc. and serves anyone living in the Lehighton Area School District.

It is open from 10 a.m. -3 p.m. every Tuesday and from 5:30-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month, with an outdoor drive-up setting.