Red Cross Valley Wide Help Lists Area Organizations Offering Free Thanksgiving Holiday Meals, Holiday Food Donations
News Release: November 11, 2008
Contact: Janice Osborne, Director-Communications and Marketing; American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley (610) 865-4400, ext. 262; pager (610) 508-4378

Valley Wide Help, an information and referral service of the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley, has compiled a list of area agencies and organizations offering assistance to families this Thanksgiving holiday in the greater Lehigh Valley. For the most up-to-date information, call Red Cross Valley Wide Help at 610-435-7111.

Thanksgiving holiday meals are available at these locations and dates:

Allentown

Bethany Evangelical Congregational Church (Everlasting Life Ministries), 224 North Sixth Street, Allentown; 610-776-4009; Saturday, Nov. 22, at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (Servers, baked goods, cooked turkeys in disposable tins and money also needed.)

New Generation Day Care, 712 Linden Street (side entrance), Allentown; 610-434-2456; Friday, Nov. 28, from 5 p.m.-8 p.m.

St. James A.M.E. Zion Church, 410 Union Street, Allentown; 610-439-9408; Saturday, Nov. 15, from noon-3 p.m.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall, 36 South Eighth Street, Allentown; 610-435-9065; Thanksgiving Day dinner, from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, 1421 West Turner Street, Allentown; 610-439-8821; Thanksgiving Day services at 10 a.m.; dinner, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Bethlehem

New Bethany Ministries, Mollard Hospitality Center, 337 West Fourth Street, Bethlehem; 610-691-5602; Thanksgiving Day dinner, from noon-1 p.m.; prayers at 11:30 a.m.

Trinity SK, 44 East Market Street, Bethlehem; 610-867-4741; Thanksgiving Day dinner, from noon -1 p.m.; (for residents of Bethlehem's north side only, please).

Easton

Trinity Episcopal Church, 610-253-0792; Saturday, Nov. 22, from noon-1 p.m., at Third Street Alliance for Women and Children, 41 North Third Street, Easton (enter gym through parking lot side door.)

Carbon County

Faith Alive United Methodist Church, 678 Pine Street, Bowmanstown; 610-852-2805; Saturday, Nov. 22, from 1 p.m.-3 p.m.; transportation available for Carbon County residents. Call 610-852-2716, 610-377-1471 or 570-386-5586 to reserve a ride.

St. John's Episcopal Church, 365 Lafayette Avenue, Palmerton; 610-826-2611; Community Thanksgiving Day dinner, from noon-2 p.m.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 21 Race Street, Jim Thorpe; 570-325-2241; Sunday, Nov. 23, from 4 p.m.-6 p.m.

Tamaqua Salvation Army, 105 West Broad Street, Tamaqua; 570-668-0410; Community Thanksgiving Day meal, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Holiday food distribution is available at:

Northern Lehigh Food Bank, 7884 Center Street, Slatington; 610-767-9525; Saturday, Nov. 22, from 10 a.m.-noon; holiday food distribution for residents residing within the Northern Lehigh School District and/or Upper Lehigh County areas such as New Tripoli and Germansville.

St. John's United Church of Christ, 15 South Second Street, Slatington; 610-767-5554; Thanksgiving Day dinner, from noon-2 p.m.; reservations suggested.

American Red Cross Valley Wide Help is a free information and referral service offering direct provision of information about social and human services. Trained information specialists use a comprehensive computerized database of nearly 2,000 referral sources to identify specific organizations that may be of assistance to area residents. Accessibility of information is ensured through the availability of six dedicated telephone numbers, bilingual services to Spanish-speaking callers and a text telephone system for the hearing impaired.

Calls to Valley Wide Help are answered Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After 4:30 p.m. and on weekends, calls are answered through a voice mail system that offers a menu of referrals to address callers' needs in an emergency situation. For non-emergencies, the voice mail system offers callers the option of leaving a message and requesting a return call.

Valley Wide Help can be directly reached at: Allentown: (610) 435-7111; Bethlehem: (610) 691-8711; Easton: (610) 252-4357; Slate Belt: (610) 588-5512; Spanish: (610) 866-1089; TTY/TTD: (610) 866-0131.

The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley serves more than 690,000 residents of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties. Last year the Red Cross provided health and safety education training; Lifeline, a personal response service for seniors; and emergency relief to more than 23,000 Greater Lehigh Valley residents. For more information about the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley or volunteer opportunities, call (610) 865-4400 or visit www.redcrosslv.org.