Thank you to Rotarians Rick Morrisey of Bethlehem Morning Star and Diane Donaher of Bethlehem Rotary, along with Master Watershed Volunteer and Garden Designer Janice Schmidt of Schmidt Designs and her husband, Rob, for planting 140 native plants to create the Bethlehem Rotary Pollinator Garden.  Janice designed the garden, selected the plants and directed the planting.  This project was funded by our club and a district grant. Also, thanks to Rotarian Kevin Cope and 3 volunteers from Victory House for putting the final touch of mulch on the Pollinator Garden!  The Children's Garden (maintain by members of the Rotary Club of Bethlehem) is located on Sand Island across from the IceHouse. Come see our fruits of labor. 

On Monday, March 23^rd, the Club volunteered for “Shelter Night” at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering, located in Christ Church UCC on Market Street. This was our designated community service project for March, which consisted of planning, procuring, cooking and serving (as well as cleaning up after) an evening meal and coordinating the showering schedule for the guests at BES (our unhoused neighbors in the Bethlehem community).  We cooked and served (to more than 55 guests plus a few staff and volunteers) sausages with peppers and onions; Calico beans consisting of pork & beans, kidney and black beans, and ground beef; sourdough bread and cornbread; and sliced peaches or chunked pineapple for dessert.  The sausage was provided by the Freezer Ministry, breads baked by Deb Walter, and the rest of the ingredients purchased with funds allocated in the Club’s community budget for this project.  Additionally, we facilitated the scheduling and coordination of showers for 13 male and 11 female guests of the shelter, including setup, provision of towels, soap/shampoo, calling names at the appointed times, and cleanup.

We had a tremendous turnout of volunteers for this project, including a good mix of our newest club members, seasoned Rotarians, and several friends and family members, who came together to serve while also getting to know one another a little better through shared experience and conversation.  Special thanks to the several Rotarians who worked both shifts from 3:00 right through to 8:30, and thanks to those who brought along friends and family to help as well.  Our non-Rotarian teammates included Ruby Knerr, Paula R. from Valor, Pat Eckert, and Deb’s friend Robin.

Bethlehem Rotarians who participated in this project include:

• Deb and PE Mark Walter

• President Lori and Dennis Knerr

• Lauren Quintrell and Dustin Simeone

• Bill Eckert

• Cindy Glick

• Joan Pierce

• Kevin Cope

• Marty Fins

• Thomas Yocum

On Saturday morning, March 7^th 2026, several Rotarians delivered over 50 Easter baskets to The Kindness Project’s store location in Macungie, the culmination of our Club’s February community service project.  These baskets are made available for foster families to choose from, along with the regular inventory of the Kindness Project’s clothing and supplies offered free of charge to support foster parents in improving the lives of their foster children.  

On December 17th, we enjoyed a delicious meal, a bit of playful chaos with a Yankee Swap, and the joy of catching up with familiar faces. A few competitive gift-swappers kept things lively, and it was wonderful to see PDG Gerry Long!  Hotel Bethlehem provided such a warm and inviting setting for this kind of holiday gathering.