On Sunday, the South Orange Rotary Club held its fifth annual Service Above Self Awards Beefsteak dinner at St. Andrew & Holy Communion Episcopal Church.  The dinner is meant to honor individuals, organizations and businesses that make a difference in the community.

Among those being honored was John Mousseau, a past president for the Maplewood Rotary Club.  Mousseau heads up the Maplewood Rotary Food Bank program and contributes to Gift of Life, a Rotary-endorsed program that sponsors life-saving heart operations on children from other countries.

"John never says no. John is always here and John is always smiling,” said outgoing South Orange Rotary Club President Janice Teetsell. “He’s the epitome of being a Rotarian. He really is service above self.”

Mousseau was presented with the Service in Rotary award. He also contributes to Easter Seals Summer Camp for children with disabilities. At the camp, the Maplewood Rotary Club maintains a cabin for campers.

“The great thing about living in towns like Maplewood and South Orange is that people will often say it’s like living in Mayberry,” said Mousseau. “It’s not only the great towns we have and the great building and restaurants and short commutes, but it’s mostly the people. I’m lucky to have been living in Maplewood for 23 years and have great friends and people that I idolize.”

Receiving the Cultural Arts Award was Marilyn Joyce Lehren. Lehren is the former editor of Livingston Patch and currently contributes to NJ Spotlight. Lehren has also contributed to Maplewood and South Orange Patches — particularly on stories related to education. However, on this night, she was being recognized for her volunteer work with library programs and her work with the Jespy House, a center that caters to adults with learning and developmental disabilities.

“I play the guitar and sing,” said Lehren. “Sometimes it doesn’t seem like very much until I see one of the children who was a toddler or an infant at the library program and I see them performing on a school stage and their parents come running up to me and hug me and thank me for being their child’s first music teacher. I see a woman at Jespy House who has few words, but she is stomping and dancing and singing to her favorite rock song and children with down syndrome or special needs playing rhythm instruments to When the Saints Come Marching In. I’m really fortunate.”

Also honored at the dinner was South Orange Police Chief Jim Chelel, who received the Public Safety Award, the South Orange Rescue Squad received the Volunteerism Service Award and Bayonne Community Bank received the Business Service Award.