Six Anne Arundel County residents with outstanding service contributions to the community were honored by four area Rotary Clubs during their annual Service Above Self dinner on May 22 at Loews Annapolis Hotel.
The Service Above Self Award is Rotary International’s highest honor for non-Rotarians, recognizing those who have displayed exemplary humanitarian service, at any level and in any form, with a focus on active involvement in helping others on a continuing basis. The recipients also are named Paul Harris Fellows, created to honor the founder of Rotary International, with the funds donated to their organizations.
The Rotary Club of South Anne Arundel County, the dinner organizer, recognized Lynnette Entzian , of Lothian, who has served on multiple community-driven boards such as Calvert Memorial Hospital Foundation, the Anne Arundel County Board of Education Citizen Advisory Board, the Business and Community Advisory Board, and Anne Arundel Medical Center Gala for several years. Additionally she is vice president of Locust Lane Farms Inc and is a family and business mediator.
The Rotary Club of Annapolis honored Pam and Rob Biddlecomb of Severna Park for their work with the Winter Relief shelter at Calvary United Methodist Church in Annapolis and elsewhere in the county. They coordinate a team of more than 150 volunteers to provide for the needs of their homeless guests. Calvary UM Church is one of close to 70 churches, synagogues and other communities of faith who participate in this Arundel House of Hope program.
The Rotary Club of Parole recognized Brenda and the Rev. Dr. W. Terry Schoener of Severna Park, who is retired from Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church there. Since 2010, at the behest of their good friend, now the late Faye Daniel, principal of Tyler Heights Elementary School, they created and operate the non-profit Backpack Buddies of Anne Arundel County Inc. The program supports more than 60 children judged to be inadequately fed on weekends. Mrs. Schoener shops for the food and every Friday with volunteers fills backpacks with nutritious non-perishable non-refrigerated foods while her husband recruits sponsors, manages the money, and creates the packing schedules.
The Rotary Club of Crofton honored Lisa Vernon, of Edgewater, who has donated more than 4,000 hours to the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council since 2001, first as tutor coordinator, and then as director. There are an estimated 70,000 adults in the county who do not have the basic literacy skills needed to obtain a GED, so the need for the council’s free literacy and ESL instruction is great. Under her direction, the council has received the 2012, 2013, and 2014 Top Rated Great Nonprofit Awards among others, and she personally has received numerous community and state awards.
For more information on Rotary International and its world-wide projects, visit www.Rotary.org.