Volunteers — they’re the unsung heroes of every community.

That wasn’t the case Friday, when Mauch Chunk Trust Co. presented its 2019 Community Heroes.

Christine LeClair, Mary Ann Dulaney, Phyllis Lienhard and Jack Sterling were honored for their extensive volunteer efforts during the bank’s annual Community Appreciation Day, held at its North Street branch in Jim Thorpe.

Organizations selected by this year’s Community Heroes to receive a donation were: the St. Vincent de Paul Society, CancerTelethon.org, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center and Carbon County Friends of Animals.

Since its conception 20 years ago, the Community Heroes program has recognized 108 local volunteers.

Heroes are nominated by their fellow residents and ultimately chosen by a voting committee.

“All these organizations usually have one or two key people that are the glue. They do the work. They make things happen,” Patrick Reilly, Mauch Chunk Trust Co. president and CEO, said.

“These are the people that make the difference in the community,” he said.

They will be honored at the 20th Annual Community Heroes Banquet at 6 p.m. June 26 at Dean Anthony’s in Jim Thorpe.

Christine LeClair

Born and raised in Lansford, LeClair has volunteered with a long list of organizations, including Lansford Cub Scout Troop 765, American Legion Post 123, American Legion Auxiliary, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Carbon County Homelessness Task Force, the Panther Valley Public Library, Wreaths Across America and more.

LeClair served in the Army for eight years. But when she came home to Lansford, she said the borough “had changed drastically.”

So LeClair decided to dedicate her time and skill to changing her hometown from within.

“We don’t know our neighbors, but they’re still our neighbors,” LeClair said. “We should still reach out to people and help them.”

Mary Ann Dulaney

Like many volunteers, Dulaney, of Coaldale, is shy when her work is recognized. But she’s dedicated her time to many organizations, like the Coaldale Fire Company, the American Cancer Society, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, the Parent Teacher Association and more.

Dulaney said she likes to be there for “whoever needs help.”

“I don’t think the world has enough volunteers anymore,” she said. “Too many people are too busy with their lives, and they don’t reach out to help others where it’s needed.”

Phyllis Lienhard

Lienhard, of Jim Thorpe, was an employee at L.B. Morris Elementary School for 30 years. After retiring, the 90-year-old decided to keep doing what she loves: working with kids.

She’s volunteered with L.B. Morris Elementary School, Girl Scouts, the Jim Thorpe Community Crime Watch Organization, the Jim Thorpe Police Department and more.

“I believe in helping one another, and I always tell my children in school, ‘more blessed to give than to receive.’ That’s my motto,” Lienhard said.

Jack Sterling

Sterling’s not just a volunteer — he’s an expert on Jim Thorpe history. His time with the Mauch Chunk Historical Society, the Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center, the Dimmick Memorial Library and the Kemmerer Carriage House Restoration Project have helped him in that role.

“I know the town. I know the people. I know the history,” Sterling said.

Sterling left his job at Electro Chemical Engineering and Manufacturing in Lehigh County in 2000, citing stress and his mother’s failing health as the reasons.

“After that, I was not employed,” he said. “(Instead,) I got involved in these nonprofits.”

Sterling is also the creator and curator of the Carbon County History and Genealogy website. He said he really delved into documenting the county’s history after his wife, Susan, died in 2013.

“It kept me sane,” he said.