Courtesy Photo Ron Lemke of Alpena is surrounded by winter coats he and his wife recently purchased for those in need in the community. It’s a service they have provided for years. The coats are donated to a variety of non-profit organizations such as the Baby Pantry, Children’s Closet, St. Bernard’s Friendship Room, Boys & Girls Club of Alpena and the Salvation Army.

Courtesy Photo
Ron Lemke of Alpena is surrounded by winter coats he and his wife recently purchased for those in need in the community. It’s a service they have provided for years. The coats are donated to a variety of non-profit organizations such as the Baby Pantry, Children’s Closet, St. Bernard’s Friendship Room, Boys & Girls Club of Alpena and the Salvation Army.

Helping others comes as naturally as breathing to Ron Lemke, who at age 71 still likes to shovel snow for housebound neighbors. He still attends as many local fundraisers as he can, often buying raffle tickets, gift baskets and Chinese auction items to help out the cause.

He also can frequently be spotted at the Salvation Army or St. Vincent de Paul stores, scrounging through the aisles for good condition items he can purchase and then place in the hands of those in need.

“The need is so great,” said Lemke, who witnessed it first hand with students he encountered while still on the job. But it didn’t stop there. He has always kept his eyes peeled for anyone he might be able to assist, even if it meant anonymously leaving a $20 bill on the windshield of a car.

Lemke credits his mother with planting the seeds for living a life of service. Back when he was a child growing up in Wausau, Wis., she worked as a visiting nurse.

“My mother was very giving,” he said. “She would take me to the homes of patients, where I would help lift them in and out of beds. I’ve been involved in helping others all my life. I love doing it.”

Much of what Lemke does he doesn’t do alone. His wife of 40 years, Cheryl, often gets behind his causes and has many of her own.

“Cheryl shares my same joy in giving to others,” Lemke said. “She will do anything for anyone.”

One of the most rewarding ventures the couple has undertaken for years is the purchasing of new coats that they then distribute in a variety of places, including the Baby Pantry, Children’s Closet, St. Bernard’s Friendship Room, Boys & Girls Club of Alpena and the Salvation Army, among many others. Lemke has worked out an arrangement with JCPenney and Peebles to buy coats in bulk, and he appreciates their support of his efforts.

“I got a call a couple of weeks ago from Peebles that they were ready with some coats in sizes infant through teenager,” he said. “There were about 65 coats and I took them all. We are just very lucky to be able to do this. We have saved over the years and we have the money.”

Another recipient of Lemke’s caring ways is a Lakota Native American reservation in North Dakota with which a local church in Alpena has long been associated.

“A couple of times we loaded vans with 100-plus coats for those at the reservation,” he said. “The poverty is horrendous there. There’s such a need for warm outerwear.”

Over the years, he’s also helped to round up school supplies for children living on the reservation. He credits several of his long-time friends from AHS with being willing to step up when asked and help his causes with cash donations or payment of shipping costs.

Lemke, who also likes to spend time interacting with his two grandchildren, admits he doesn’t sleep a lot and that he’s had some physical concerns, including arthritis and replacement of a shoulder and both his knees. Even so, he said he doesn’t envision he and his wife slowing down any time soon.

“I can’t imagine any other way,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll ever slow down until physically we can’t do it anymore. I just love helping, and feel really good doing it.”

Lemke hopes another by-product of his service will be that others are encouraged to lend a hand or donate money to charity.