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, May 28, 2026, for our Live/Hybrid Meeting.Our meet & greet starts at 7:15am with the regular meeting starting at 7:30am.
Our speakers will be:
Jeff and Jen McCary, Founders
iHave iNeed Inc.
Waste Not, Want Not
Our mission is to provide essential goods to those in need while reducing business waste and promoting sustainable practices. Through our programs and partnerships, we aim to reduce waste, support local communities, and empower individuals to make a positive impact on the world around them. By redistributing products that companies can’t sell to people and organizations who need them, we’re working to turn garbage into good. And we can all feel good about that.
At our May 21, 2026 meeting, Morning Star Rotarians were recognized for their continued support of The Rotary Foundation.
MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell along with District Governor Mary Cook recognized three Morning Star Rotarians, Mike Orbin, Betty Isaacs, and Rodney Conn, who have achieved Major Donor status with The Rotary Foundation. With the addition of these three Rotarians, Morning Star Rotary now has 15 Major Donors and 1 Arch Klumph Society Member.
Congratulations to Mike, Betty, and Rodney and to all our members who contribute to The Rotary Foundation.
District Governor, Mary Cook, congratulated our recognized members and encouraged all Rotarians to continue our support of The Rotary Foundation. She explained that the foundation provides significant benefits, with half the money returning to the district for grants over three years. Because of our continuing financial support, grant funds are available to implement all the fantastic projects of our club, both locally and globally.
MSR Foundation Chair Tom Hartzell presented MSR Rotarian Wendy Ellsworth with her PHF +5 pin, recognizing her support of the Rotary Foundation. Congratulations and thank you Wendy!
Susan Burnett, who was attending the meeting remotely, was also recognized for the recent recognitions for her Foundation contributions.
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.
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FYI...All donations to The Rotary Foundation should be made by June 15th to ensure credit for this Rotary year.
Morning Star Rotary welcomed Margaret McConnell, Executive Director of WDIY 88.1, Lehigh Valley Public Radio to our May 21, 2026 meeting. Margaret presented an overview of the radio station's history, mission, and content offerings. She explained that WDIY 88.1 is a 31-year-old nonprofit station covering the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas, featuring a mix of music (75% non-commercial) and spoken word content including NPR news and local programming. The station hosts local artists and maintains about 30 podcasts. Margaret noted an increase in featuring local artists through on-air interviews and underwriting opportunities.
She described the diverse range of podcast programs offered by their station, including popular shows like Lehigh Valley Art Salon, The Inside Dish, and Plan Lehigh Valley, as well as newer additions such as Trailblazers and Twenties Toolbox. Margaret highlighted the station's focus on community voices, with many programs curated by local residents and featuring content ranging from arts and local business to environmental issues and youth programming. She noted challenges with capacity constraints affecting production and airtime availability, and mentioned plans to potentially expand collaboration with PBS 39 for digital content.
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!
Morning Star Rotary will be partnering with The Cathedral Church of the Nativity to host a Blood Drive on June 9th in Sayre Hall. The sign-up link is now live, and you can schedule your donation. Please pass this on to anyone who may be interested in participating.
PLEASE NOTE: Members are asked to bring a side, a salad, or a dessert. Please RSVP to Shawn at (shawnbariana@gmail.com) and let her know what you want to bring so we don't end up with all desserts.
Wilbur Mansion
