The Rotary Club of Allentown West recently honored a couple, Joe Mitlyng and his wife Terry Ryan-Mitlyng, instead of honoring the club's annual business person.

The couple were influential in getting the Christ's Church at Lowhill Food Pantry up and running, and due to its success, when an addition was needed to the building, they took the lead in that effort.

The honor was presented for an extraordinary "work of service."

The Mitlyngs were moving to Michigan, where they have family, and the Rotary wanted to honor them before they left.

Presenter Barbara Kistler said the legacy the couple leaves behind will not be forgotten.

Kistler explained several persons were brainstorming in 2008 about how they could organize a project to serve the Northwestern Lehigh community by helping those people who were caught in the economic downturn.

The Mitlyngs, members of Christ's Church at Lowhill, were aware of the empty one-room schoolhouse on the site.

The decision was made that the best way to help would be with a food pantry, and the building began a new life.

Joe took over the chore of convincing the church board the building would serve best by being transformed into a pantry.

The next step was raising money to renovate the schoolhouse.

The Mitlyngs were instrumental in that project also, even attending a Rotary meeting to ask for support.

State regulations had to be researched. A lot of elbow grease was needed and volunteers stepped up. Anyone who offered to help was accepted.

The pantry opened in May 2009. Clients are neighbors of the volunteers and, as such, are treated with respect. Each person is given a grocery list showing how many of each category they are allowed to have that month but the clients make their own food choices.

One mother down the road from the food pantry makes homemade cookies. An organic farmer gives a portion of his crop, so clients have fresh food.

The Mitlyngs continued to play an active part where all their skills were put to good use. In 2010, the Allentown West Rotary received a grant from its district to purchase a computer system for the pantry.

This replaced Terry's personal laptop being used to store all records. The new system was up and running by 2011.

Later that year, an addition to the pantry was begun and the Mitlyngs were again fundraisers.

They also took care of obtaining zoning permits and other requirements.

In just a few months, $100,000 was raised and building began on an intake area, storage and an area where people can share used clothing, household items, books and toys.

Many of the volunteers attended the presentation.

The Rotary thanked them and praised them for their pivotal roles in bringing the vision to fruition. Some of them will step into the Mitlyngs' leadership role. Rotarian William Palmer said the group believes that in this land-of-plenty no one should go hungry.

Terry, a pediatrician, was medical director of the Lehigh Valley Physician Group, and sang with the Camerata Singers.

Joe worked for a consulting firm in the health care profession and sang with Summer Harmony.

Kistler told the Mitlyngs the 2013 Outstanding Service Award was for "Your outstanding vision, leadership, perseverance and sweat."