Welcome to Allentown West Rotary! 
Western Lehigh County    Club No. 5415     District No. 7430      Zone 32
 
Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
 
We’re glad you stopped by; we’re proud of our club and how we serve our local and international communities. On this website, you’ll learn a little bit about what we do, but the best way to learn about us is to see for yourself. We invite you to join us at any meeting or service project to learn more. Be our guest! 
 
Allentown West Rotary focuses on two main areas locally: food insecurity and building a better future by developing our youth through education and leadership opportunities. We invite you to learn a little more about us and what we do by viewing our service projects.

Our Service Projects

Allentown West Rotary Club is a community service organization that serves the Lehigh Valley and far beyond. But, beyond the satisfaction of service is the fellowship that comes from a worldwide organization that, despite cultural differences, delivers a sense of belonging to a community dedicated to bettering our world. See how we strive to make a difference.

View our Service Projects

STEM YEA 2024 was the biggest & best event thus far.
STEM YEA 2024 a Great Success; More Students, Teachers and Interns, More Young Minds Engaged.
Our most recent STEM Youth Explorer Academy was our largest and likely best thus far since our inaugural event took place in 2022 at Albright College. The team is working to tweak and improve the event for 2025 based on extensive feedback.
 
STEM YEA has found a new home at Kutztown University, with exceptional labs that our young scientists fully utilized. The university's observatory even became the birthplace of a new discovery-an exoplanet. Our STEM campers also had the privilege of exploring the planetarium on the ground floor. 
 
Promising students from around District 7430 were chosen for their potential and financial need, so that deserving hungry minds could gain an opportunity to taste STEM education and the idea that they could achieve what our great interns could achieve, a foothold in science that benefits the students and society at large. 
 
There is a shortage of STEM-qualified people who we need to master the future. Rotary is proud to aid in this, and anyone who attended would tell you it was great to see young minds open to the possibility that they CAN do these things. They worked together in teams admirably well, and subtle changes could be seen day after day.
Allentown West Rotary made a donation to the planetarium.
AWRC welcomes two new members; second from left is Renee Wiggins and second from the right is Sean Roth. 
AWRC Partners with The Wildlands Conservancy and Local Rotary clubs for Environmental Project
Paul Younger from Little Lehigh Water Stewards
and Kate Ebel-Senior Restoration Ecologist from Wildlands Conservancy presided over the event. 
Applying the protective sheaths.
On a drizzling Saturday morning of May 18th, a strong community of nearly 30 volunteers gathered at Earl Adams Memorial Park to plant trees and other native species. This event, part of a larger plan by the Wildlands Conservancy to promote biodiversity, support pollinators, and mitigate climate change, was a testament to our shared commitment to environmental conservation. 
 
The event was very well run. The holes were pre-dug and marked with flags corresponding to an appropriate plant for that location. The volunteers listened to Kate Ebel, Senior Restoration Ecologist from Wildlands Conservancy, explain the plan and its logic. Ebel patiently instructed volunteers on planting and adding protective sheaths around the plants. 
 
Many volunteers said that doing work like this was very satisfying, as is the work of service in general. There is, however, something special about planting trees that will thrive long into the future. Many have asked for more of these projects, and we will embrace these opportunities as part of our Rotary focus on the environment.
 
The Express Lane for Community Service, AWRC Launches Impact Club

The idea behind an impact club is to entice those who have a desire to provide service to the community without having to be involved in committees, meetings, dinners, and other traditional Rotary functions. It's about pure service to the community. While many people enjoy the fellowship aspect of Rotary, this is a new club model; an impact club is a sort of satellite club, and members are fully active Rotarians and host club members.


The IMPACT club is not just a name, it's a reflection of our autonomy. We create and execute our own projects, inviting Host club members to participate. IMPACT club members can also contribute to host club projects and are always welcome at any Rotary meeting or function if they wish to join.

The AWRC Impact club has two projects in Allentown.

The first is teaching English to recent immigrants at the Refugee Community Center of the Episcopal Church of the Mediator. The Refugee Community Center functions as a safe space for new refugee and asylum neighbors to find hospitality, connection and friendship. The work focuses on adult ESOL education, intentional children’s programming, advocacy and hospitality.

The second focus of the AWRC Impact Club centers around Community Bike Works. Bike Works has programs where youth can sign up to earn a bike, learn how to repair a bicycle, and learn how to maintain it. More than that, they teach youth responsibility and make them aware that they are part of a larger community. Many go on to become involved in Bike Works and their community. A recent project was installing garden beds behind their facility to grow food for the hungry, distributed from their food pantry.

If you have a thirst for service to your community and have little time to do it, contact Diana Dunn. She has created and chartered the club and will be happy to hear from you.

The gavel has passed from our recent leadership team, Gwenn Carr, Gary Englehardt, and Herb Klotz, to incoming President Chris Blechschmidt.
 
The meeting was eventful, and in the photo above you can see the history of our leadership from left to right, the gavel passes from past President to past President as is the custom. Our future leaders are lined up at far right including Earnie Bliss who will succed Chris, and Diana Dunn, who will success Earnie. Chris's first meeting on July 10th will feature incoming District Governor Katie Farrell. The meeting will provide an overview of how we will implement our Rotary Action Plan vision for Allentown West. We have had a good year and look forward to another under Chris's leadership. Be sure you don't miss this opportunity to express your gratitude for our outgoing leadership team and welcome Chris to his new role as President.

Paul Harris Awards were also presented to club members after another successful year of service.
Happy Paul Harris Award recipients
AWRC Named Bronze Hero Club for 2023-2024
 
In 2023, SHELTERBOX helped more than 325,000 people (approximately 65,000 households). It was our second biggest year, behind the 420,000 supported in 2022, in terms of people reached since ShelterBox began in 2000.
 
We supported thousands of people in Türkiye and Syria after earthquakes devastated the region. In Morocco, where a powerful earthquake had caused widespread damage in the Atlas Mountains, our teams worked with our partner Association Le Grand Atlas, and Rotary District 9010 to distribute emergency shelter aid to around 20 affected communities.
 
East Africa has been victim to the worst drought in 40 years, causing millions of people to be displaced. We’ve supported thousands of people in Ethiopia, providing essential household items, tarpaulins, and ropes for people who have been displaced. We also launched our first project in Somalia since 2011 and have so far been able to provide support for hundreds of people, with additional projects in the pipeline for 2024.
 
As the conflict in Ukraine approaches its third year, we are delivering our sixth project in the country supporting thousands more people with winter clothing, blankets, and stoves. We are continuing to support people affected by conflict in Syria with winterisation projects too, making sure people have thermal clothing, blankets, and tarpaulins to help make temporary shelters waterproof.
 
In Cameroon, we’ve supported over 100,000 people who have had to flee their homes due to conflict, the climate crisis, and poverty. Our latest project in the country has supported over 63,000 people with shelter.

Thanks to all of our club members who generously donated to SHELTERBOX!
Co-President Herb Klotz and Ron Coleman help out at the Food Bank at Kingdom Life Family Center.

The Food Bank at Kingdom Life Family Center distributes healthy food to an ever-increasing number of families in the Lehigh Valley. In recent times, the distribution has reached over 300 families in need. Given the increasing scale of the work involved, more volunteers are needed to help set up, help with the distribution, and help tear down.
 
Volunteering is a fulfilling way of providing service to those most in need. Let's see how many Rotarians we can send to be of service.

Donate & Happy $ to Allentown West Rotary Foundation
Speakers
Renee Wiggins
Oct 23, 2024
Classification Talk
Brennan Pursell
Nov 13, 2024
Artificial Intelligence
Gavin Holihan
Dec 11, 2024
Lehigh County District Attorney
View entire list...
Club Information
Allentown West

Service Above Self

We meet In Person & Online
Wednesdays at 7:30 a.m.
Cedar Crest College, Tompkin's Conference Center
Adminstration Circle
Allentown, PA 18104
United States of America
We meet in person on the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays. Elevator is available. Park in LOT C. Flex meetings/dining out first week of each month TBD, see calendar.
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Send Cards to Support the
Allentown West Rotary Club Foundation
 
Send a Thank You, Condolence, Congratulations, Thinking of You, In Honor of, In Memory of, or Just Because card and make a donation to the Allentown West Rotary Club Foundation at the same time. When you do, you will also be donating to the AWRC Foundation.
 
Purchase a pack of Tribute Cards to say congratulations, I'm sorry, best wishes, happy birthday, send condolences, or just because! You fill in the reason for the card on the top lines and your name on the bottom lines, and mail it out. On the front is a beautiful photograph of a familiar farmhouse in the Lehigh Valley. Inside, recipients will see that the purchase of the card goes to fund the Foundation of our Rotary Club, and they are invited to learn more at our website. On the back is some information about Rotary and our areas of focus.
 
Cards are sold in packs of 5 for $25, plus shipping. 
 
Upcoming Events
MOW/ Meals on Wheels Delivery
Oct. 15, 2024
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
MOW/ Meals on Wheels Delivery
Nov. 12, 2024
MOW/ Meals on Wheels Delivery
Nov. 19, 2024
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
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