In honor of Older Americans Month, 14 Lehigh County residents were recognized May 15 at the Lehigh County office of Aging and Adult Services’ 19th annual tribute to unsung heroes at Fellowship Community, Zentz Community Building, Whitehall.

This tribute honors older adults in the Valley who have displayed exceptional generosity with their time and talents to enrich the lives of others in the community.

Some of the honorees at the tribute included Linda E. Hengeveld, Ann E. Bartholomew, William E. Palmer, Melinda K. Bonanni and James W. Harper.

Linda E. Hengeveld

Linda Hengeveld was honored for her service as the Emmaus Public Library’s longest-serving volunteer. This year marks 39 years.

She also served on various school district committees, was a den mother for eight years and a committee chair of Pack 25 for a year or so. She also taught her church’s first-year confirmation class for 20 years. She acted as worship leader and Sunday school teacher in the adult class (she’s been teaching Sunday school since she was 12 – not always adults, of course!). Hengeveld has sung in the church choir since she was in second grade and she still sings on the senior choir.

She has served as a lay assistant to her pastor during worship services and she is still a lay reader (reading scripture). She has served as a deacon and an elder on her church council (serving as president for a year). Hengeveld has acted as master of ceremonies for various programs and “roasts” and been the narrator for church cantatas. She was also a soup-kitchen volunteer for several years, but she could only serve during the summer. She has also done a lot of babysitting for her grandchildren.

Hengeveld hopes to continue volunteering for a long time to come.

Ann E. Bartholomew

Ann Bartholomew was honored for being passionate about her community and its past. As a resident of Lower Macungie Township, Bartholomew evolved as a local historian and writer. Her name will reoccur in many local historical articles and publications in future decades.

Almost 50 years ago and continuing today, Bartholomew began a long career of community service as a member of the League of Women Voters where she would study and influence public policy and take a more active role in government. She quickly became a board member and the chapter’s president, in addition to assisting with their Voter’s Guide and Government Directory of local officials.

Among her many accomplishments, Bartholomew co-authored “A History of Lower Macungie Township.” She was a founding member, and to this day is a continuous board member of the Lower Macungie Township Historical Society. She is currently vice president and newsletter editor and may be found every Sunday afternoon in their museum. Bartholomew also expanded her scope of volunteerism as a 10-year member of the Lower Macungie Planning Commission.

As a board member of the Allentown Preservation League, Bartholomew delved into preservation issues and architectural salvage and became a board member of the Lehigh County Historical Society. Bartholomew also volunteered with local historical societies and other organizations to put together books such as “Macungie’s Elsie Singmaster;” “1803 House: Anna Eleonora;” “Shelter House: Toby’s Tale;” “100th Anniversary of the Allentown Rotary Club;” “Canal Museum: Delaware and Lehigh Canals A Pictorial History” and “Steelmaking in Bethlehem, PA.” The publications “Allentown 1762-1987” and “A 225-Year History of Lehigh County by the Lehigh County Historical Society” were greatly enhanced by the volunteerism of Bartholomew.

She was a founding member and a continuing non-elected board member of Lower Macungie Garden Club.

The Lower Macungie Township Historical Society opened its own local history museum Nov. 19, 2017 after countless hours of planning, designing, implementation and coordination. She and her husband Craig were once again in the forefront of this accomplishment. Noting their cumulative achievements and dedication, the township commissioners voted to name the new facility The Bartholomew Center for the Preservation of Lower Macungie Township History.

William E. Palmer

William E. Palmer was nominated for his work with the Rotary. Palmer held, and continues to hold, multiple Rotary District and Zone positions. He served as Rotary District Governor in 2010-2011. During that year $216,000 of new funds were raised for Rotary’s worldwide projects. Additionally, $94,200 was raised to eradicate Polio. He also actively supported his wife, Yvette, when she became Rotary District Governor for 2002- 2003.

Palmer continues to serve the Allentown West Rotary Club as weekly bulletin editor and serve the 45 Club, 5 County Rotary District as its district finance chair, district secretary and editor of the District Governor’s monthly newsletter. This volunteer time exceeds 45 hours each month.

For over a decade, Palmer managed the contracts and site operations for over 40 training days for thousands of new Rotarians and also served on the faculty as a facilitator.

In 2011, Palmer’s wife passed away and, in her memory, he funds a scholarship program though the Lehigh Carbon Community College Foundation for women with interrupted studies. Over the last seven years, thanks to Palmer, 29 women who have had their college studies interrupted have received scholarships totaling over $25,000 to help them complete their degrees.

He also is a regular and generous donor to many Rotary International Funds, as well as the numerous projects of the Allentown West Rotary Club.

Palmer has glaucoma and does not drive. Through an extensive network of friends and family, he fulfills all of his obligations. He does not let his disease define his life. Indeed, he sees challenges as opportunities. His outlook is positive and all-encompassing. As evidenced by his many business and volunteer accomplishments, he seeks to include rather than exclude.

He strives to find positive, effective solutions that create a true win-win for everyone. He has shown a constant and prodigious level of professional and volunteer achievement that few could match, let alone exceed.

Melinda K. Bonanni

“Blankets of Love” is a relatively new ministry of Jordan United Church of Christ in South Whitehall Township. Melinda Bonanni, of Emmaus, was working in home care when one of her clients received the gift of a blanket that the client’s granddaughter made. Bonanni was so moved by the grandmother’s response that she was inspired to find a way to provide blankets to those who not only could use the warmth, but more importantly, needed to feel the love as well. What started as a gift to a family member, a twin-size handmade blanket, has become a significant outreach program, beginning with those in need in the South Mountain area of Allentown near her home.

The blanket program complements Jordan UCC’s “Prayers and Squares Prayer Quilt Ministry.” The program has grown to involve numerous other “Woobie Warriors” as Bonanni likes to call the blanket makers who purchase the material for about $25 per Woobie. The Warriors make the cuts and tie the knots, bless the blankets with their prayers, and distribute them to those in need.

Each blanket is a work of art, because of the God-given talent Bonanni has received and shares with others. She is a good steward of every dollar contributed to support the Woobie-making, even saving the corner squares which are cut off to be used for another project. Each weighted blanket provides lots of comfort to those who receive it, a valuable gift of tangible textile and intangible love. As Bonanni likes to note, we are doing this “for the least of our brothers and sisters,” to reference Jesus’ own words, “and in so doing, may be entertaining angels unaware.”

Bonanni is the church’s own Woobie Queen, inspiring other members and friends to participate in this project. Woobies have been given to shut-ins, hospice patients, a family sheltered in the church, the Family Promise guests, and Valley Youth House serving homeless teens. Bonanni’s dream is to expand this ministry to other churches and community organizations, possibly founding a Lehigh Valley Chapter to make an even larger community impact.

James W. Harper

James Harper, of Macungie, is one person who is very dedicated to his community and very generous of his time and talents.

Throughout his adult life he has also been very active in numerous Lehigh County organizations, giving much of his time to his community. Here’s a list of his activities:

• Since 1957 he has been a member of the AAA Board of Directors, holding office as vice chairman, chairman and governing director of AAA East Central

• Member of the Rotary Club of Allentown since 1965, past president and current member of the Allentown Rotary Foundation Board

• Chairman of the United Way of Lehigh Valley for four years, and currently a member of the United Way Community Investment Committee

• Past member of the board of directors of the American Red Cross, Lehigh Valley Chapter. Within the Red Cross he also served on the national committee on resolutions and the national committee on nominations.

• Past chairman of the Health Systems Council of Eastern PA

• Part of the original group that developed Valley Youth House and member of its first board of directors

• Past member of the board of managers of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem

• Board of directors of the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra from 1998-2012

• Board of directors and chair of the governance committee of the Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau (now Discover Lehigh Valley) from 1990-2016

• Board of associates of Cedar Crest College (2005-Present)

• Adjunct faculty at four colleges: Cedar Crest, Muhlenberg, Moravian and Lehigh University.

• And of special interest to this audience, he is currently the chairman of the United Way Alliance on Aging Committee

In 1990, he was awarded the American Red Cross Clara Barton Award, and in 1994 awarded the Lehigh University Alumni Association Outstanding Service to Lehigh Award.

Along with all of this, Harper is an elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Allentown and enjoys writing, gardening and hiking.

After the tribute, the recipients and their guests were treated to assortment of refreshments.