On May 5 we had a visit by two very energetic and passionate ladies to tell us about their experiences with Meals On Wheels of Northampton County (MOW NC). The mission of the organization is to promote healthy living through the delivery of nutrition services. Started in 1971, MOW NC is the premier provider of nutrition services in the greater Lehigh Valley seeking to ensure the nutritional well-being of all people primarily the elderly and disabled.
Jamie Rzeszowski works in the MOW headquarters facility where they prepared over 515,000 meals in fiscal 2015 (6/30/15) operating 5 days per week. This is about 2,025 meals per day! The organization is supported by an army of 1,100 volunteers delivering meals to 650 clients daily on 52 routes in Northampton County. These clients are in low income situations, over age 65 and primarily housebound. MOW is proud there is “No waiting list – no seniors go hungry.” The costs to the clients are based upon a sliding scale dependent upon the individual’s circumstances and case worker evaluations.
Home Meals delivered are hot, cold and frozen for clients use as they determine. MOW NC participates in Buy Fresh Buy Local (BFBL) a national program that connects consumers to fresh, locally grown foods. This helps further ensure the clients are receiving highly nutritious foods to help their diets and support a healthy lifestyle. Chef packs are available and there are a variety of choices – not a one size fits all approach!
Betty Gayley has been a volunteer for over two years now. Representative of their volunteer army, she has a tremendous compassion for the clients. Betty has two routes with nearly two dozen clients to service. Often times the MOW volunteers are the only outside contact the client may have. So the volunteer also becomes a quasi-caretaker looking in on the client’s well-being, not just deliver and go. Bad weather packs are provided to clients as well to protect them in the event of exceptional weather – anyone remember the blizzard back in January? Ani-Meals have been an outgrowth of the program when volunteers found the clients sometimes gave their food to their pets before eating themselves.
Clients normally result from referrals. So if you know someone who may benefit from these services, please reach out.
Congratulations to Morning Star for an Outstanding Event!
You all received this Thank You email from Chair Val Walk.
Dear Morning Star Rotarians,
I would like to thank everyone who participated in this year's Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser. Thanks to those who served on the committee, promoted the Dinner, baked desserts, sold tickets, and brought family and friends to enjoy Butch's "gravy".
A special thank you goes out to those who stepped up and volunteered to set up, tear down, work in the kitchen, sell auction tickets, prepare takeout dinners, staff the registration table, and wait tables. Without the coordinated help of everyone, it would not have been such a successful event.
And lastly, a very special thank you to the tireless efforts of head chef Butch Macri and his assistant Tom Bailey. From the opening of the first can of tomatoes to the turning off of the lights at the end of the night, Butch was the most instrumental person in making this happen.
I am very proud to be able to work alongside such super Rotarian friends.
Val
Kind of says it all - but I personally want to thank you all, especially Val and Shawn Deiter as Co-Chairs of the Spaghetti Dinner Committee, for once again managing and coordinating a very successful event for Morning Star and Rotary! I know we were all busy right to the end with all tables full and turning over multiple times. Additionally I understand there were a record number of take-out orders keeping the ‘Take Out’ crew busy, busy, busy! Looking forward to a recap in the near future. You are the best!
BikeWorks Roundup of 2 WHEELERS – Another Successful Morning Star Rotary Community Project!
Special thanks to Tom Kolepp for corralling 15 2-wheel bikes of assorted sizes for the kids at BikeWorks. Also a special thanks to all the folks who moved the dust catchers to new homes.
You may recall that Morning Star Rotary partnered with Bethlehem and Allentown Rotary clubs to provide the van. Now our ‘sweat equity’ segment of the grant is complete.
Through students participating in the program it
• Fosters relationships with caring adults
• Learn bike mechanics & safety
• Develop reading, teamwork & other job skills
• Lead & give back
And at the end, the successful student gets to keep the bike!
Pope Francis greets Rotary International President K.R. Ravindran at a Jubilee audience at the Vatican on 30 April, where 9,000 Rotary members were special guests of the pontiff.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Vatican
As invited guests of Pope Francis, nearly 9,000 Rotary members from around the world attended a special Jubilee celebration in Rome, where peace, polio eradication, and the refugee crisis were highlighted.
Thousands of Rotary members, motivated by a special invitation from Pope Francis, gathered at the Vatican in Rome on Saturday to celebrate a message of compassion, inclusiveness, and service to humanity.
Six degrees of separation is the theory that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world, so that a chain of "a friend of a friend" statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps.
If you could not make it to the Jubilee, follow the Six degrees theory. By going to the May 17th Million Dollar Journey Campaign Celebration at the Valley Forge Sheraton, you can meet Rotary International President K.R. Ravindran. Shake his hand and not only do you connect with our RI President, you are only one level removed from Pope Francis! More information available on the District 7430 Website.
Joint Golf Tournament on June 6
The Golf Tournament Committee requests your support - hole (& other) sponsors by May 19 and golfers by June 1, plus raffle board donations, including gift certificates, and volunteers. The raffle board has available squares to purchase for $5 per square - a great way for non-golfers to support this event!
The final Rotary Foundation Annual Fund push is on to qualify Morning Star to repeat as a “100% Participation” Club and average over $100 per member. If you have not already given, please give your Foundation contribution in any amount into Tom Hartzell or the “$2 a Week” Table by May 27 so that he can assure proper credit to both you and the club for our achievement.
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us this Thursday, May 12th when we will have an MSR Club Assembly. I will present various topics for updates, comments, and planning as we move forward. As a member of Morning Star, your input and participation is requested.
See you there!
If you would like to learn more about either Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Ron Searfoss at rsearfos@ptd.net or 610-504-1460.
Be a gift to your world!
President Ron
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