A Hellertown public works pickup truck fully loaded with donated household items such as knives and Tupperware departed Borough Hall for the Lehigh Valley Outreach Depot Tuesday.
From left, assistant Hellertown borough manager Tina Krasnansky, administrative assistants Angie Bauer and Tanya Stametz, and police department secretary Pat Tallarico stand next to the bin where items are being collected for the Lehigh Valley Outreach Depot at Hellertown Borough Hall.
The outreach depot–a mission of Wesley United Methodist Church in Bethlehem–provides families and individuals referred there by social service agencies with household items and furniture.
Some of the families have lost everything due to fire or a natural disaster, and the center characterizes itself as a “disaster relief warehouse.”
According to the vision statement posted on the organization’s website, “the vision of Lehigh Valley Outreach Depot is to be ‘the hands and feet of God,’ whose sole purpose is to receive, store and provide useful goods to those who need help reestablishing their lives or business.”
The back of a Hellertown public works pickup truck is loaded with donated household items destined for the Lehigh Valley Outreach Depot and local families in need.
Donations from Saucon Valley residents have been pouring in ever since a drop-off bin was placed in the Borough Hall vestibule earlier this month, borough public works director and depot volunteer Tom Henshaw said.
Borough office staff–including Angie Bauer and Tanya Stametz–as well as assistant borough manager Tina Krasnansky and police department secretary Pat Tallarico have been assisting with the drive to benefit the depot.
Henshaw was accompanied on the delivery Tuesday by Tallarico, who also volunteers at the depot.
Tupperware containers were among the donations bound for the Lehigh Valley Outreach Depot in Bethlehem.
Both said the experience of volunteering there has been very rewarding.
The outreach depot, which is located at 1866 Auburn St., Bethlehem, is open for drop-offs on Tuesday and Saturday, as well as by appointment. For more information about dropping off donations or arranging a furniture pickup, call 610-861-7373.
Monetary donations to benefit the Lehigh Valley Outreach Depot’s mission are also accepted, and can be made via PayPal or by mailing a check payable to Wesley Church with “Outreach Depot” written in the memo field to the address above (zip code 18015).
For additional information about how to volunteer at or donate to the Lehigh Valley Outreach Depot, visit the website.
