The Lebanon Valley Sertoma Club is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a chapter with an invitation-only picnic at Stoever’s Dam Park on Thursday, June 27.
Vicki DeLoatch, 60, of Lebanon County, serves as the chief financial officer of Lebanon Family Health Services as well as president of the Lebanon Valley Sertoma Club. She spoke with LebTown about the chapter and its service-oriented mission.
“I became involved when I came to work here at Lebanon Family Health Services,” DeLoatch said. “One of the things we’re committed to here as an organization is staff members being involved in the community. … So, Lebanon Valley Sertoma Club was a club that I was introduced to and thought that it was a good fit.
“And as a staff person at Lebanon Family Health Services, it benefits both ways. We have an opportunity to meet other people in the community, provide services, and share information about what we do as well.”
J. Robert Ladd served as the first president of the local Sertoma Club, which was established in July 1974, and remained an active member of the chapter until his death in October 2022. Ladd also helped establish the Hershey-Palmyra Sertoma Club in June 1975 during his term as president.
The Lebanon Valley Sertoma Club, a chapter of Sertoma International, serves the Lebanon Valley community with a special focus on serving individuals who are hard of hearing or deaf. The chapter has kept its mission consistent through the years and obstacles like the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was difficult when you couldn’t be together as a service club because when we get together, which we meet twice a month … it allows us to talk about the things that are facing our community and what we are able to do and want to do as a service club to help to serve the community. So, definitely, that was impacted,” DeLoatch said. “But I feel really proud to say and happy that we were able to sustain and remain viable through that.
“We have had some new members join during and since the pandemic. We’re always looking for new members that believe in what we do and would like to join forces.”
The local Sertoma Club has expanded its service to the community using funds from its member dues, fundraising events throughout the year, and Sertoma International grants.
The chapter volunteers and donates to local entities, including Developmental & Disability Services of Lebanon Valley, Jubilee Ministries, Lebanon Community Concert Band, Lebanon County Commission for Women, Lebanon Family Health Services, Lebanon Rescue Mission, Lebanon Valley YMCA, Quest, Stoever’s Dam Park, and WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital Audiology Department.
The chapter has worked with Cub Scout units and the Boy Scout Troop in Lebanon County to help provide the opportunity for hundreds of girls and boys to attend summer Scout Camp. It also helped facilitate hearing tests for local youth and distribute amplifying hearing devices.
Read More: Lebanon Valley Sertoma Club awards $2,000 to PA Dutch Boy Scout Council
“One of our current projects is the bed shaker, which, when somebody is hard of hearing or is deaf … and a fire alarm goes off while they are sleeping, they wouldn’t hear the fire alarm,” DeLoatch said. The chapter purchases bed shakers that, in the event of a fire, shake the individual’s bed to wake them and potentially save their life.
Also, as part of its mission, the chapter has tackled various community-based projects over the years. These projects have most notably included a skate park at the YMCA and a pavilion at Stoever’s Dam Park, where the chapter holds its annual picnic.
“From personal impact over the years, I think when we have the opportunity to hear from people that we have been able to serve — for example, we’re supposed to have a guest joining us at the picnic who is going to be receiving one of the bed shakers that I spoke about — when we get to hear stories about how we’ve helped … someone who’s deaf or has a hearing loss, it’s really very powerful to know that we’ve made that, we’ve helped to make that difference in their life,” DeLoatch said.
The chapter is expanding the guest list for its 50th-anniversary celebration to include legislators as well as current and former members of the chapter and “some friends of the organization,” she said, including previous recipients of the Service to Mankind award.
“It’s going to be a great celebration of individuals who have been a part of Sertoma and been impacted by the work that we do in our community,” DeLoatch said.
“We try to do some social events a couple times a year so that we can invite [alumni] that used to be members and let them know what’s happening now, get a chance to talk with each other,” she said. “And sometimes, somebody decides they want to come back and join us again.”
The chapter will host its annual golf tournament on Friday, Sept. 20, as well as its first dance featuring live music by Flamin’ Dick and the Hot Rods on Friday, Oct. 18. DeLoatch said that, depending on the turnout, the dance could become an annual fundraising event like the golf tournament.
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