James “Jim” McMahon, of Upper Macungie Township, was honored as part of the Lehigh County Aging and Adult Service’s 21st annual tribute to Unsung Heroes.

This tribute honors older adults in the Lehigh Valley who have displayed exceptional generosity with their time and talents to enrich the lives of others in the community.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of the annual recognition ceremony, honorees received certificates of recognition, flowers, a pin and yard sign delivered to their homes.

According to his tribute:

“As founder of The Gress Mountain Ranch, I would like to acknowledge Jim and recognize his contributions.

“The Gress Mountain Ranch’s mission is Animals Helping People and People Helping Animals.

“Jim who first contacted Gress Mountain Ranch through the Volunteer Center of Lehigh Valley, has been helping for several years.

“On his way to the ranch, he checks in with a local business, to see if they have any boxes of produce or lettuce for the animals.

“All the animals really love all of the produce Jim brings.

“Jim can work alone and accomplish tasks for the animals, such as cleaning out the duck pond.

“It was a Boy Scout project, that takes great care and has several parts to getting it clean again with about 250 gallons of fresh water.

“Jim does all the recycling and trash for the ranch.

“There are usually, a large number of boxes. He collects the boxes, flattens them and loads them all in his truck.

After his shift at The Gress Mountain Ranch, he takes the cardboard over to the Allentown recycling center.

“Due to the pandemic, our trash hauler will no longer take these boxes. This trip helps out the ranch and keeps the grounds clean and neat.

“Jim is very good at multitasking, and can get many different tasks done for the animals.

“He is truly caring and takes care of the four big pigs, Gypsy, Hamlet, Scooter and his good friend, Bruizer.

“He gathers all kinds of produce, lettuce, and feeds each one their piggy mash, too.

“Bruizer’s house always needs to be cleaned out, and Jim accomplishes this.

“Bruizer the pig had a traumatic event occur to him.

“He was grazing with a number of other animals over a course of a year when a sheep turned on him and gored his eye,

“When Jim learned of this happening, he spent much time caring for Bruizer, talking to him, petting him, and of course getting him all types of special food.

“Bruizer was very depressed, and was losing his will to live.

“Jim spent a good amount of time encouraging and helping Bruzier know he could still live a good piggy life with one eye.

“Today, Jim and Bruizer are best buddies ... each one enmeshed in the other, remembering how they became close.

“Jim is also very handy and capable to work with my husband, Ben, on larger projects for the ranch.

“Jim and Ben single-handedly, put up an acre size electric fencing, digging all the poles, attaching fencing, and putting up all the gates.

“This was done to provide another safe pasture for all animals to exercise daily.

“Having a safe and secured fenced area was one of The Gress Mountain Ranch’s largest projects.

“Jim and Ben have done a number of fixer upper projects in other sections of the environment for the animals, including another fencing project in the northern pasture, for the big horses, and some roofing for the duck/turkey enclosures.

“Jim is very handy and gets right to work on making improvements for the ranch.

“Ben and Kathryn from The Gress Mountain Ranch would like to recognize Jim for the Unsung Hero Award, volunteering and helping all the animals to continue our public charity’s mission.”