Wasem receives recognition for years of community service
LANCASTER — Penny Wasem, a Lancaster accountant, businesswoman, humanitarian and mother, is now able to claim another title — the 2022 Richard A. Benadum Rotarian of the Year.
Wasem has been a member of The Rotary Club of Lancaster, a local installment of Rotary International — a service club organization consisting of community leaders and professionals — for more than 30 years.
When she is not actively giving back to the Lancaster community through financial donations, service projects and valuable time, Wasem presides as president over her own accounting business, Lifetime Financial Planning Solutions.
Wasem first joined The Lancaster Rotary Club in 1991 and has been heavily involved with the group ever since. She has served as the director of the Rotary’s Christmas Choir, was a former President of the Club, and is the chair of the literacy committee and a member of the chaplain and music committees.
During her time as President of the Rotary Club from 2009-2010, Wasem started a book donation partnership with the library of Forest Rose School. Wasem personally chooses each book that is donated and bases the topic of the book on presentations given by professionals during the weekly Rotary Club meetings. The donations have continued over the span of 12 years and have increased the Forest Rose library by hundreds of books.
Wasem’s idea was inspired by a similar effort another Rotary organization had, and she decided to adapt it to the Lancaster Rotary Clubs' goals. Building off a previous relationship with Forest Rose, Wasem’s books came to find their way to the school.
“Since we already had the partnership with Forest Rose, we contacted them to see if that was something they would like, and they were very grateful to have that,” Wasem said. “We put a little label inside each of the books saying who the speaker was, we have the speaker sign it, and then we have the Four-Way test for Rotary in there.”
Wasem’s dedication to the Rotary’s motto “Service Above Self” and devotion to the Four-Way Test—which consists of the questions: “Is it the truth?” “Is it fair to all concerned?” “Will it build goodwill and better friendships?” and “Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”— made her an outstanding candidate for the 2022 Rotarian of the Year award, Judy Root, a previous Rotarian of the Year, said.
“I've always felt like Penny does so much for the rotary and she does it so quietly and behind the scenes; a lot of people may not even notice sometimes what else she does,” Root said. “She's always there, always saying yes, and (is) just a big part of our club. I was really thrilled that she was honored that way.”
Wasem received her award during the Rotary Club’s meeting on May 16. Wasem was completely surprised to not only receive the award, but to also learn that her husband, Eric Hubbard, was at the meeting and both of her children, Clark and Olivia Hubbard, were watching through Zoom.
“It was very emotional,” Wasem said. “I think it was because as I looked out in the crowd, everyone out there could have gotten it. Everyone out there does something special for the community or for our club because we're all in it because of service.”
Despite having attended rotary meetings with her mother in the past, Olivia Hubbard said she was in awe of all the activities Wasem is a part of within the club, and there were even a few that she had no idea she did.
However, Hubbard said she was not at all surprised when she learned her mother would be receiving the award. Throughout her childhood, Hubbard said Wasem had always been the paradigm of the motto, “Service Above Self.”
“She has a giving heart, and everything she does is (to) help others and contribute as best she can,” Hubbard said. “She's like that in our family as well. She's the one who is the most emotional and is very driven by her love for others.”
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Wasem receives recognition for years of community service
