Nazareth Area Food Bank launches website

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

The nonprofit Nazareth Area Food Bank has launched a website that will become a source of information about the organization for the public, the nonprofit's representatives said.

The website was created by three employees of Martin Guitar: Robin Connolly, Carmen Cortez and Mike Zehner – as part of their undergraduate degree program at Muhlenberg College.

"Robin, Carmen and Mike showed great interest in learning as much as they could about our efforts to help people in need and what sort of project they could take on to help us in a major way as an organization," said food bank Director Jim Byrnes in a statement. "We are really indebted to them for finding the means to host and develop the site and for designing what we launched today. And they did this all on their own time, over discussions at lunch and then after their workdays ended at Martin Guitar."

The food bank provides nonperishable food items monthly to more than 200 residents living in the Nazareth community. Specifically, it serves people living within the six municipalities that comprise the Nazareth Area School District – the boroughs of Nazareth, Stockertown and Tatamy and Bushkill, Lower Nazareth and Upper Nazareth townships.

For most of its history, the food bank operated at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church before acquiring its own building –- a 120-year-old former railroad freight station -- in September 2008. The food bank relies solely on the work of volunteers and donations.

Aside from its history and information about its operations, the food bank's website also offers hours of operation for the distribution of food to clients as well as items needed.

Current items needed include basic nonperishables such as canned or jar goods: vegetables, beans, fruit, soups, pasta sauce and meals such as stew and ravioli. Boxed items, such as breakfast cereal, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, rice or noodles; canned tuna or salmon and Spam, also are needed.

The organization also provides loaves of fresh bread and a portion of packaged frozen meat products.

Byrnes said the evolution of the website's development will be ongoing to reflect the food bank's work and needs going forward.

The Link to the new website is follows: http://www.nazarethareafoodbank.org/

The food bank can be contacted by dialing 610-365-8869 or at nazarethareafoodbank@gmail.com.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/nazareth/index.ssf/2011/02/nazareth_area_food_bank_launch.html