Morning Glories

Morning Glories March 16, 2026 Meeting Notes

The March 16, 2026 meeting was led by Sue Marakovits, with 32 members in attendance. 

Opening Song:  Good Morning, Lord – played by Betty Henderschedt

Devotions:  Linda Heiberger shared that when she needs a pick-me-up, she thinks of the Morning Glories!  She lavished pearls of wisdom on her very attentive “audience”, and she closed with this: “You didn’t wake up to be mediocre. Take care of yourself first – you can’t pour from an empty cup.”

Birthdays: March 1 – Katie Wikander; 3 – Mary Farner; 12 – Cheryl Kneiss;

 16 – AnnMarie Overdorf;  19 – Betty Rabenold; 22 – Marge Kovacs.

Special thanks to Karen Frankenfield for our 2026 birthday postcards, featuring Old Orchard Beach in Maine. The QR code on it allows us to connect to a YouTube video of Jeremy Camp’s song, “Keep Me in the Moment”. If you need help using the QR code, please ask for help.

Speaker: Jennifer Pandolfo, associate director of Sights for Hope, shared information about the plethora of services they provide for blind and visually impaired individuals. Helen Keller asked the Lions Club to help the blind, and this program is part of that legacy. Their goal is to teach clients how to reach their full potential by learning how to do things differently. Jennifer noted that stroke is one of the leading causes of visual impairment. Volunteers are welcome, including in their “Be My Eyes” service for helping visually impaired individuals navigate when they are away from home. A highlight was all of the show & tell items that are available in the Sights for Hope store. Thank you to Mary Ann Gibbons, point person for today’s speaker, and to Al Ulrich for his technical assistance with the power point. $410 was collected in the basket designated for Sights for Hope!!!

Notes/Correspondence:  none received

New Business/Old Business:                        

Ongoing: Sue pointed out the creative St. Paddy’s Day bulletin board bulletin board created by Vicki and Steph Chimics and Judy Connelly.

Turning Point used electronic collection: Thank you to Linda Wiland for taking care of this very profitable ongoing collection that benefits Turning Point (for women escaping domestic violence) through smartphonerecycling.com.  7 cell phones were collected this month.  Linda provided a list of items that are accepted (no cords and no laptops). The most popular items include cell phones, I-pods, I-pads, DS and other gaming systems, digital cameras, tablets, kindles, Nintendo’s, pagers, and remote controls – almost anything digital. Our collection has also received GPS devices and digital thermometers.

Diane Czar shared information from a Facebook post about a tech recycling event, “Stuff the Truck” that will benefit the Kindness Project, an outstanding foster care program that has been a guest in the past at Morning Glories. The event is April 25 from 10-1 at 555 Harrison Street, Emmaus. That’s the same day as the Victorian Tea at Holy Trinity. If you have items to take but are involved in the Tea, Diane Czar offered to take items to the collection site. Accepted items include computers, monitors, printers, scanners, servers, audio equipment, routers, and TVs. Donations of new items for The Kindness Project store will be accepted ( new bath & hygiene products for babies, kids, teens; new clothing, pj’s, socks, and underwear for kids and teens; new shoes (size 5 Toddler – size 5 adult)

Linda Wiland also reported a final total with belated donations: 505 pairs of socks for STAR/Bethlehem Emergency Shelter!  We reached our goal of over 500!!

Thinking of You card ministry:  Thanks to Sandi Smith, Diane Jones and Trevor Smith for preparing the cards. 

2026 Murder Mystery Dinner Theater –Janis reiterated the news that Without a Cue cost has risen to $1900, and maximum audience dropped from 80 to 50. Other ideas were discussed. Kathy Nattress will check on the possibility of a presentation by the high school theater group. Having a magician was suggested. Linda Ettl will get information on a theater group she found via google. It was agreed that we need time to explore options and plan, so this year, we can let the 5 Loaves & 2 Fish team know that September is available for them to host a dinner (Holy Trinity dinners are all by donation, and benefit an outside charity).

Pines Dinner Theater: April’s meeting will be the deadline to indicate interest in a dinner theater outing in Allentown (Pines Dinner Theater): Caps & Gown (May 2 – Jun 20) or School of Rock (Jul 9 – Aug 22). We need at least 16 to get the group rate. 6 of us showed an interest in Caps & Gown, 10 in School of Rock via last month’s sign-up sheet. Kathy Nattress is the point person.

Morning Glories checking account has been set up. Thank you to RuthAnn Reinsmith and Deb Frey for handling the set-up and ongoing checking needs. The group approved keeping a minimum of $25 in the account as a cushion against those unexpected checking events that we’re probably all familiar with ($5 minimum is required by Members 1^st).

Distribution of Offering:  Our monetary collection this month was $350. $61.49 interest from LeeAnn Webb savings interest is in our account – $36.49 available after the $25 cushion.  2-$25.00 Walmart gift cards will be sent to Cay Galgon. $336 will go to the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund.

Since Sept. 2008, $97,799.74 has been donated to special causes; this does not include all the non-monetary donations that have been made over the past 17 years.

Closing song played by Betty Henderschedt.

Thank you to everyone who provided salad fixin’s, desserts, and beverages for today’s lunch.  Thanks to Pat Fried for doing kitchen clean-up.

Future Dates: 

April 20, 2026 – Thank you for volunteering!

Devotions: Betty Henderschedt

Speaker: ALS – Social Worker Jessie Meier, MSW, LSW and Program Coordinator Larissa Gibbons, BS

Point Person: Mary Ann Gibbons

Collection: Monetary collection towards special projects for ALS clients

Cay Galgon baby bottles will be passed out /Paula Kesack & Deb Frey will

coordinate our annual campaign

Food (brunch): Casseroles: Cheryl Kneiss/Linda Ettl; Quiche/Judy Spaits

 Lois McAllister/fruit tray, Karen Frankenfield/muffins,

Drinks: Deb Frey/juice, Vicki Chimics/lemonade & ice tea

Desserts: Sue Stahler, Rose Haberacker; Kitchen clean-up: Kathy Nattress & Sandy Cooper

May 18, 2026

Devotions:  Karen Frankenfield

Speakers:   Big Brothers/Big Sisters – Susan Bartels; Point Person: Janis Charvala

Collection items for Big Brothers/Big Sisters:

Snacks (individual bag sizes like you buy from Costco or BJ’s – favorites are Pirate’s Booty, Pretzels, Cheez-its or Applesauce/Fruit pouches) or water (small 8oz bottles)…

Art Supplies:  paintbrushes, googly eyes, wide popsicle sticke and pencil cases….

Socks: (ages 6- 18)

Return Cay Galgon Baby Bottles

Taco Bar:  Cooked Seasoned Meat/Peggy Wuertele; Iced Tea/Lemonade- Cheryl Kneiss

Kitchen Clean-up: Cheryl Kneiss/Vicki Chimics

June 15, 2026

Devotions:  Ruthann Reinsmith

Entertainer:  Rob Ballonoff

Collection: Summer Playground Snacks

Picnic Lunch:  Hawaiian Meatballs/Pat Fried; Dessert/Kathy Nattress

Kitchen Clean-up: Rena Bond/Diane Carfara

July 20, 2026

Devotions:  Janis Charvala

Speakers:   10:30 – Pinebrook Children’s Home/Lori VanBoren, Carlos Gomez, Eliana

 Point Person:  Janis Charvala

Collection: School Supplies…back packs, general school supplies

Plan next 6 months

Ice Cream Sundaes – Ice Cream/Pat Fried; Chopped Peanuts/Cheryl Kneiss

Caramel/Linda ?

Kitchen Clean-up: Sue Marakovits/Sandy Cooper