Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary will match member contributions to Rotary Foundation with club points during the 2025-26 Rotary year. A minimum $100 contribution is required. For contributions of greater than $100, the club will match a maximum of 200 points. This will help newer members achieve their first Paul Harris Fellow quicker, and encourage other members to contribute at a higher level. Major donors not eligible for points. Points will be given for contributions retroactive to July 1, 2025 and continue through June 30, 2026.
See Foundation Chair, Tom Hartzell for information on making your contribution. You can send your contribution on-line or give your check (payable to Rotary Foundation) to Tom. You can also mail a check to Tom Hartzell, 1341 Biafore Avenue, Bethlehem, Pa 18017.
Please join Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary this Thursday, March 26, 2026 for our Live/Hybrid Meeting.Our meet & greet starts at 7:15am with the regular meeting starting at 7:30am.
This week's speaker will be MSR Rotarian, Ginny Wolkoff presenting the "State of Lehigh Valley Real Estate."
At our March 19,2026 meeting, Past President & Membership Chair, Betty Issacs installed our new members.
Leah Mason and Asha Lutabingwa
Bettypresented Leah and Asha with their MSR Rotary badges and Rotary membership pins and encouraged them to volunteer as greeters at least two times in their first year, participate in at least one fundraising activity, join one of our MSR committees, attend at least one BOD meeting, and consider donating to the Rotary Foundation. Both Leah and Asha were sponsored by Bill Hunter.
Our new MSR Rotarians work at Lehigh University. Leah is Deputy Director of the Iacocca Institute, Director of the Iacocca International Internship Program and Asha is the Director of the Office of International Students and Scholars.
At our March 19,2026 meeting, MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented MSR Rotarians Mike Orbin with his Paul Harris +7 pin and Lynn Milet with her initial Paul Harris Fellow, recognizing their support of the Rotary Foundation. Congratulations and thank you Mike and Lynn! Tomhighlighted the importance of contributions to the Foundation in supporting our local and international projects. He also provided positive news from the Area II meeting where it was announced that the Area had met its yearly Foundation goals, thanks much in part to Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary. Thank you to all who have contributed this Rotary year.
At our March 19, 2026, we welcomed Nazareth Rotarian, Mollie Santee, who spoke to our members regarding the Memory Cafe program at Morningstar Living which provides social support and activities for people with dementia and their caregivers, operating twice monthly at Advent Moravian Church in Hanover Township.
Mollie gave an overview on the Memory Cafe initiative, which began in July 2020. The program aims to address social isolation for people living with dementia by providing a safe, accessible space for twice-monthly gatherings featuring carefully planned activities, music, and special guests. She explained that participants must come with a caregiver and discussed the importance of finding the right setting, noting that the location was chosen to serve retirement communities in the area.
Molly discussed the importance of support for those facing dementia and described the Morningstar Living community's mission to enrich the lives of residents through various care services including wellness programs and on-site dental and podiatry clinics. She discussed the various support programs available for caregivers and individuals with dementia, including free support groups, Memory Lane programs, and an early stage dementia support group. Mollie explained the concept and purpose of Memory Cafes, emphasizing their importance for social interaction and support for caregivers and individuals with dementia, She stated that while these programs are offered free of charge, they do incur costs for hospitality and activities, and noted that while Morningstar Living operates a home care agency, the primary purpose of the Memory Cafe is not marketing but providing a supportive social environment.
The presentation also provided information about Dementia-Friendly Lehigh Valley. Approximately 25,000 individuals are living with Alzheimer’s in the Lehigh Valley. The Lehigh Valley Dementia-Friendly Coalition seeks to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders through its Dementia-Friendly Lehigh Valley initiative.
We have been informed that the Memorial Service for MSR Rotarian John St. Clair (Obituary) who passed away on November 9, 2025 will take place at 10:00 AM on Friday, March 27, 2026 at the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem (remote participation will be possible).
Once again Bethlehem Morning Star is partnering with the Monocacy Creek Watershed Association for their annual Spring Stream Clean-up on Sunday, April 12, 2026 from 9:00-11:30 AM. The meet-up location is at Illick's Mill,100 Illick’s Mill Road. Sign-up to volunteer at an upcoming meeting or contact Rick Morrissey.
Mission of Mercy in Pennsylvania, known as MOM-n-PA, is returning to the AgriPlex in the Allentown Fairgrounds again this year! This is a two-day free dental mission for our most vulnerable population, primarily those who cannot afford regular dental care. The event will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 29th and 30th.
We are in need of volunteers to make this mission successful once again. The clinics run from 7:00 AM until 5:00 PM on Friday and Saturday. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up for a full day session if they can, or choose a half-day option.
Up to 500 lay volunteers are needed for positions such as Patient Ambassadors (escorting patients within the facility), Food Service (helping to serve food to our volunteers and some patients), Patient Registration, Translators (especially Spanish but others as well), and to monitor the patient waiting areas.
We are also in need of people who can physically volunteer to help with the clinic set up on Thursday, May 28th starting at 9:00 AM, or to help break down the equipment starting around 3:00 PM on Saturday.
Registration for volunteers is mandatory (no walk-ins) and volunteers must be 18 years old or older.
Please go to https://www.mom-n-pa.com/ for more information and to register for this event. Tell your friends and family!
Just a note - patients do not pre-register. This is a first come, first serve clinic and is absolutely free to patients. We do not ask for ID or income information. We provide cleanings, simple fillings, some simple root canal therapies, extractions (not wisdom teeth) and some simple partial dentures (on a case by case basis to replace front teeth only). All patients go through medical triage to determine if they are medically fit for dental care, and dental triage to determine their needs. We cannot provide comprehensive care, but we especially want to help people be relieved of dental pain or problems. We anticipate between 1300 and 2000 patients again this year.
Finally, if you cannot volunteer but wish to make a monetary donation to support this mission, please do so at the same website. Our budget for this program is $250,000 to cover event space, rental equipment, food and dental supplies. Any donation is truly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide, and I hope to see you at this event!
Flatiron Building, 5th Floor Community Room
