Sights for Hope bestows its community awards at its discretion and presents awards for its professionals and volunteers annually.
Accessibility Champion Award
The Accessibility Champion Award honors individuals and organizations for their sustained commitments to removing the barriers to independence and success caused by visual impairments.
List of Accessibility Champion Award Honorees
Douglas Yingling (2022)
Douglas Yingling was honored for more than 30 years of service to people with visual impairments, including his work as Executive Director of the Center for Vision Loss from 2011-2020, his 20-year tenure as Executive Director of the Montgomery County Association for the Blind, and his service as a member of the Kempton Lions Club and the Central Montgomery Lions Club.
Bethlehem Boating Club (2019)
The Bethlehem Boating Club was honored for hosting annual outings on the Lehigh River for people with visual impairments over six decades. The former Alton Park Lions Club and the Mountainville Lions Club also were recognized with this award for their sponsorships and support.
Pennsylvania Lions District 14-K and its Clubs (2018)
Pennsylvania Lions District 14-K and its member clubs were honored for forming two organizations in 1928 to serve people with visual impairments the Lehigh Valley area. These organizations evolved into what is known today as Sights for Hope.
Chrysalis Award
The Chrysalis Award honors people with visual impairments who have distinguished themselves professionally in a manner that exemplifies the indomitable power of hope.
List of Chrysalis Award Honorees
Francis Salerno, M.D. (2013)
Francis Salerno, M.D., Associate Chief of Geriatrics for Lehigh Valley Health Network, was honored for becoming the health network’s first Chief of Geriatrics after losing all of his sight at the age of 29 and for advocating for improved services for older adults through his teachings and writings.
Amy Bower, Ph.D. (2011)
Amy Bower, Ph.D., of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, was honored for her leveraging of assistive technologies for people with visual impairments to earn her doctorate and to become an internationally-distinguished research oceanographer.
Lifetime of Service Award
Sights for Hope bestows the Lifetime of Service Award to staff members, volunteers, members of its Board of Directors, and members of the Sights for Hope Endowment Foundation’s Board of Directors who serve the organization for 20 or more years.
List of Recent Professional Honorees
Dianne Michels (2022)
Anthony Silvetti, O.D. (2022)
List of Recent Board and Endowment Honorees
Todd Donnelly (2022)
Martin Lang (2022)
Gary Pave (2022)
Thomas Reilly (2022)
John Sharkey (2022)
Edward Vogrins (2022)
List of Recent Volunteer Honorees
Maureen Fernbacher (2022)
Lois Frederick (2022)
Annette Gozzard (2022)
Betty Kletzli (2022)
Shirley Scarantino (2022)
Service Tenure Awards
Sights for Hope bestows awards to staff members, volunteers, members of its Board of Directors, and members of the Sights for Hope Endowment Foundation’s Board of Directors for achieving service milestones.
List of Recent Professional Honorees
15-Year Service Awards
Ruthie Asmus (2022)
10-Year Service Awards
Rita Lang (2022)
5-Year Service Awards
Byron Jackson (2022)
Cheryl Miller (2022)
Jennifer Pandolfo (2022)
Noel Penaloza (2023)
Yvette Quintero (2024)
Brian Schell (2022)
Carol Weisberg (2024)
Kim Williams (2022)
Dennis Zehner (2023)
List of Recent Board and Endowment Honorees
10-Year Service Awards
Linwood Gehris (2023)
5-Year Service Awards
Fred Folland (2022)
Linwood Gehris (2022)
Lucille Piggot-Prawl (2022)
H. Ross Ramaley, Esq. (2024)
Michael Wambaugh (2022)
List of Recent Volunteer Honorees
10-Year Service Awards
Paul Bartolucci (2024)
Britt Harris (2022)
MaryAnne Heeter (2022)
Lillian Moran (2022)
Fay Sheeler (2022)
5-Year Service Awards
Paul Bartolucci (2022)
Amy Crowe (2022)
Angel Cruz (2022)
Kathleen Dennis (2022)
Gloria DeVito (2022)
Donna DiMenichi (2022)
Francis Herman (2023)
Kristen Jenkins (2022)
Terry Leh (2024)
Dorothy Montero (2022)
Cheryl Petrakovich (2022)
Liane Sinkovits (2023)
Eileen Strohl (2023)
Kim Weimert (2022)
Annie Sullivan Volunteer Spirit Award
The Annie Sullivan Volunteer Spirit Award recognizes a commitment to helping others by a volunteer that exemplifies Annie Sullivan’s spirit of teaching and friendship to Helen Keller.
List of Recent Honorees
2022: Donna DiMenichi
2023: Kristen Jenkins
2024: David León
Annie’s Angel Volunteer Impact Award
The Annie’s Angel Volunteer Impact Award honors a volunteer who has made an impact that has improved a Sights for Hope client’s quality of life.
List Recent Honorees
2022: Richard Siter
2023: Karen Baer
Helping Hands Volunteer Award
The Helping Hands Volunteer Award honors a volunteer for their dedication to a variety of projects that benefit people with visual impairments in Sights for Hope’s communities, as exemplified by Helen Keller.
List of Recent Honorees
2022: Cheryl Petrakovich
2023: Jenni Rach
Knight in Shining Armor Volunteer Award
The Knight in Shining Armor Volunteer Award honors a volunteer who exemplifies versatility and dependability to respond to critical needs.
List of Recent Honorees
2022: Mary Visintainer
2023: Sirena Saleet