Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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Masonic Charities Managing Editor Roger C. Biede III, Secretary Paul J DorĂŠ Sr . President Masonic Charities is a publication of the Masonic Charities of Arizona, a charitable arm of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Arizona. Unless otherwise noted, articles in this publication express only the private opinion or assertions of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Grand Lodge. The jurisdiction speaks only through the Grand Master and the Grand Lodge Trustees when attested to as official in writing by the Grand Secretary. Grants are awarded to primarily assist those organizations throughout the State, engaged in relieving human suffering of any kind, which are dependent upon contributions from the public to accomplish their mission. Masonic Charities nonprofit organization is officially recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as having 501(c) (3) status and therefore charitable gifts made to are considered to be tax deductible contributions. Please direct all questions and correspondence to
Roger C. Biede III Secretary 988 E. Saddleback Pl. San Tan Valley, Ariz 85143 Roger.Biede@gmail.com For submissions for the next Grant Cycle of Masonic Charities of Arizona please contact Roger.Biede@gmail.com Or www.masoniccharitiesaz.com
A Grand Lodge F. & A.M of Arizona Publication
President’s Message
Board of Directors List 2020 Grant Recipients Family Promise Furnishing Dignity New Life Center Read Better Be Better Bullhead City Meals on Wheels CAAFA Compassion Connect Control Alt Delete Northland Family Help Center Phoenix Dream Center MT. Graham Safe House Shoebox Ministry A Stepping Stone Foundation The Joy Bus Diner Verde Valley Sanctuary Yavapai Exceptional Industries Youth On Their Own Veterans Furniture Center Dream City Christian Operation Enduring Gratitude Holbrook First Step Child Language Center
Front Cover: WB David Smith awarding a 2020 Grant to the Veterans Furniture Center
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My Brothers, On behalf of the Arizona Masonic Charities Board, we are pleased to submit this overview for 2020 grant cycle to the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Arizona, Free & Accepted Masons. This overview will share all the wonderful charities the Charities were able to support this year with grants made possible by the Masons of Arizona. All of us at Arizona Masonic Charities have appreciated the spirit of collaboration and partnership provided by both the Grand Lodge leadership as well as Brethren from throughout the Jurisdiction. Working together, we have made great strides. It is this collaboration and partnership that has made Arizona Masonic Charities something we can all be very proud of. We are pleased with the progress we have made this past year in reaching more Charities and community members, and providing more services for all. Looking ahead, Arizona Masonic Charities will continue to improve its focus on those organizations throughout the State engaged in relieving human suffering of any kind that are dependent upon contributions from the public to accomplish their mission. There is always room to improve, and we look forward to continuing a positive and productive relationship with the Grand Lodge, the Masons of the Jurisdiction, and all members of all of our Masonic family. Sincerely and Fraternally,
Paul J DorĂŠ Sr President 2020-2021 Masonic Charities of Arizona
Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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President Arizona Lodge No. 2 White Mountain Lodge No. 3
Vice President Adobe Lodge No. 41
Secretary/Treasurer Gila Valley Lodge No. 9
San Pedro Lodge No. 55
Aztlan Lodge No. 1
Chalcedony Lodge No. 6
Sun City Lodge No. 72
Flagstaff Lodge No. 7
Scottsdale Lodge No. 43
Morgan Stanley - Smith Barney (FINANCIAL ADVISOR) Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #1
www.familypromise.org With the issue of family homelessness remaining at crisis levels, Family Promise engaged in a strategic plan to change the future for 1,000,000 children by 2030. The next three years will be marked by growth: more resources and partnerships and a focus on expanding the capability and capacity of Affiliates. The number of Affiliates serving more than 500 people a year has more than quadrupled over the past decade and the national network is serving more than 125,000 people a year and engaging 200,000 volunteers nationwide. Family Promise has truly grown to represent a national movement that believes we can address family homelessness—right here in our own communities. We recognize the star as the logo’s most important element and a visual touchstone to our organization’s history. The five points of the star represent the five key elements of Family Promise: shelter, prevention, stabilization, community and promise. This Charity’s headquarters is just north of Scottsdale Lodge No. 43, who graciously accepted the request to help present this grant. They have already made plans to provide volunteer hours and financial support in the future to Family Promise.
The Arizona Masonic Foundation for Children strives to be the premier provider of programs to enhance the lives of children in Arizona. Their mission is to provide training of such exceptional quality, that every school in Arizona will adopt the "Children at Risk Program" as the intervention program of choice. And to identify, develop and implement additional child centered programs that educate, nurture, fortify, and enrich the lives Mail your donation to: of the youth of Arizona.
Bob Shrager AMFC
Over 2,000 Educators have been trained and more than $500,000 donated to MSAP by AZ Masons.
P.O. Box 32605 Tucson, AZ. 85751-2605
Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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Charity Press Release:
Masonic Charities of Arizona awards Family Promise of Greater Phoenix a grant to help families experiencing homelessness Scottsdale, Arizona (DATE, 2020) - Family Promise of Greater Phoenix, a nonprofit organization that rescues primarily first-time homeless families and their pets and helps them return to independence, announced it had received a grant for $1,500 from Masonic Charities of Arizona to support the nonprofit’s emergency shelter program. Grants from Masonic Charities of Arizona have been provided to a variety of nonprofit organizations in communities across Arizona. Masonic Charities selected Family Promise as a 2020 grant recipient because of their work to keep families experiencing homelessness together on their journey back to independence. “We aim to support organizations relieving human suffering of any kind, and Family Promise has continued to help some of the Valley’s most vulnerable families despite challenges resulting from the coronavirus pandemic,” said Russell Sayre of Masonic Charities. “We are proud to know our grant will go to support Family Promise’s emergency shelter program so that parents who have lost their home will be able to safely tuck their kids in at night.” Family Promise focuses on resolving the family’s immediate crisis by offering social services, helping parents find employment and connecting them to daycare and school for their children. Currently, Family Promise is sheltering more than a dozen families at two day centers in south Scottsdale where parents and children receive shelter, food, clothing, and other basic needs. Before the coronavirus pandemic, Family Promise relied on its network of volunteer churches and synagogues to shelter and feed the families they serve while Family Promise assisted these families on their journey back to self-sufficiency. Family Promise has had to temporarily pause its community-based model to protect their volunteers and families from potential spread of the virus. “We believe that children and parents can draw strength from one another during a stressful time in their lives, such as experiencing homelessness, which is why we are dedicated to keeping families together on their journey back to self-sufficiency,” said Ted Taylor, Executive Director at Family Promise of Greater Phoenix. “We truly thank Masonic Charities for supporting our mission.” Since the beginning of the year, Family Promise of Greater Phoenix has graduated more than 100 families from their program into independent housing and self-sufficiency, and has also assisted 11 families to stay out of the shelter system through their preventative programming. For more information on how to support families experiencing homelessness, visit FamilyPromiseAZ.org. About Family Promise of Greater Phoenix: Family Promise envisions a nation in which every family has a home, a livelihood, and the chance to build a better future. Family Promise of Greater Phoenix rescues primarily first-time homeless families from the streets and provides emergency shelter and basic needs in a sixty-day program designed to assist their return to self-sufficiency. Their shelter includes a sanctuary for the family pet, the first such program in Arizona. Learn more at FamilyPromiseAZ.org. Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #2
www.furnishingdignity.org Furnishing Dignity provides home furnishings for people transitioning from a shelter or foster care. While other organizations can provide housing assistance, funds do not exist to purchase home furnishings. Organizations do a great job of helping families get off the streets and into a place of their own, however, sleeping on the floor in an empty apartment doesn’t help a family truly transform their lives. Prometheus Lodge No. 87 continued to partner with Masonic Charities of Arizona to present the 2020 Grant. The Gilbert based Lodge has been supporting the Charity for the last two years after being introduced by Masonic Charities.
You can represent the Fraternity with your very own Masonic License Plate There is a $25 initial application fee/ $25 annual renewal. No special requirements for eligibility as the plates are available to everyone. $17 of the fee is donated to charities supported by the Grand Lodge. The license plate may be personalized with maximum of 7 characters Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #3
www.newlifectr.org New Life Center believes that every family has the right to live free from violence. The passion of our board, volunteers, and staff extends to the youngest victims of domestic violence – children who witness domestic violence or are abused themselves. New Life Center serves more than 1,000 children and adults annually through our emergency shelter and outreach support programs. More than 70% of New Life Center’s shelter population is children. In 2017, New Life Center served more children and provided more bed nights than any other single facility providing emergency shelter to domestic violence survivors in Arizona. New Life Center is one of the largest domestic violence shelters in the country.
The Grand Master’s Polo shirt and Ties are being offered for a $30 donation as part of the fundraiser for the Masonic Youth group. Contact the Grand Lodge Office today to get yours! Look sharp in the 2020 Grand Masters official Shirt. Emblazoned with his 2020 logo over the left breast you will stand out as a man among men. Be sure to get yours today before they are gone. Available in XXL,XL,L,M,S All proceeds to go to the Masonic
Youth Foundation
Shirts may be purchased online. Paypal fees and a $8.00 Shipping fee will be included in the Price.
Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #4
www.readbetterbebetter.org Read Better Be Better (RBBB) was founded by Sophie Etchart in 2014 in Phoenix as a response to Arizona’s literacy crisis. The state is ranked 45th in the nation for childhood literacy and 48th for PreK12th education. Currently, 69% of 3rd graders from low-income families in Arizona do not read at grade level and often are unable to make the necessary transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” by 4th grade. Students who do not read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade are four times less likely to graduate from high school. But with proper reading intervention, there is an 89% chance that students who can read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade will graduate from high school, irrespective of socio-economic status. RBBB’s mission is to help children improve literacy skills and become better learners. The organization’s after-school program serves 3rd-grade Readers who have been identified by their teachers as needing targeted reading intervention. The 3rd graders are paired for a semester with at-risk 6th-8th grade Leaders who have been recommended to the program by school personnel, including social workers and resource officers, often because they have in some way become disengaged from school. The Leaders are provided with ongoing training in implementing reading strategies, leadership, and coaching skills by RBBB Site Leaders, many of whom are education majors. Together the Site Leaders, Leaders, and Readers work to improve concentration, reading comprehension, and the enjoyment of reading. RBBB currently partners with 10 districts in 62 schools, serving a total of 3,968 Readers and Leaders across Maricopa and Pinal counties. Due to the COVID pandemic Masonic Charities of Arizona was unable to present the grant in person. Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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Charity Press Release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 29th, 2020 PHOENIX, AZ. – A Phoenix-based 501(c)(3), Read Better Be Better (RBBB), was awarded $1,5000 from Masonic Charities for its after-school reading comprehension program. In an effort to support the 62 schools and 10 districts that Read Better Be Better partners with during the COVID-19 global pandemic, RBBB has modified its after-school programming. As many students may not be participating in after-school programs in the traditional sense, RBBB created multiple programming options for the fall: the Read Better Be Better Family Literacy Program and Read Better Be Better At Home. Read Better Be Better At Home is modeled after the Family Literacy Program but includes access to Site Leaders and additional online materials. Read Better Be Better At Home is targeted to families that have both a 3rd grade and middle school student in the home. Targeting these families allows Read Better Be Better to continue its core mission of teaching leadership skills in addition to reading comprehension. The Read Better Be Better At Home program has already received great feedback from its pilot program participants.
“I’ve noticed that [my reader] is reading at a faster pace, yet she still is understanding what she reads. She is improving majorly. After schools closed, I felt as if she wasn’t improving in her reading skills, but the RBBB program has really helped her surpass the reading level at which she began with. She not only reads at a faster pace, but she also uses a lot of enthusiasm when she reads, just like her leader,” reported one caregiver in the RBBB At Home Pilot Program. The funding from Masonic Charities allows Read Better Be Better to continue its critical literacy work in the current times of economic hardship and adversity. Because of community partners like Masonic Charities, RBBB is able to fund the of rollout of its Read Better Be Better At Home program. RBBB is grateful to its community partners that recognize the need of students in Arizona, and commit to funding programs that make a difference. David Miller from Masonic Charities says, “Arizona Masonic Charities is privileged to support this agency’s community-based literacy and reading programing. It is an important investment in people and the community. We congratulate Read Better Be Better in pursuing, and adjusting, programming in this time of unusual circumstances.” RBBB was founded as a response to Arizona’s literacy crisis; the state is ranked 45th in the nation for childhood literacy and 48th for PreK-12 education. Currently, 69% of 3rd graders from low-income families in Arizona do not read at grade level, and students who do not read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade are four times less likely to graduate from high school. With proper reading intervention, there is an 89% chance that students who can read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade will graduate from high school, irrespective of socio-economic status. Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #5
Meals on Wheels: serving Bullhead City & Fort Mohave, provides a nutritious meal, containing at least one third (1/3) of the RDA for an individual and a daily welfare check. This service is for seniors 60 and older. Only those individuals who have been pre-screened are eligible for home delivered meals. 2020 Grant to the Bullhead City Meals on Wheels program was presented on Sunday, October 4, 2020, at 1:00PM, at the Mohave Shrine Club in Bullhead City, AZ. The grant check was presented by WB Larry Crummey, Master of Mohave Valley Lodge No. 68, to Ms. Kathy Bruck, representative of the Bullhead City Meals on Wheels program. Also in attendance was MWB Robert Bradfield, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Arizona, WB Keith McCormack, Grand Tyler of the Grand Lodge of Arizona and Brethren representing all three District 1 Lodges.
Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #6
www.caafaaz.org Empowering Individuals, Strengthening Communities. Community Alliance Against Family Abuse (CAAFA)’s mission is to empower individuals, families, and communities to be free from abuse through collaboration, prevention, awareness, and support. Their agency was founded in 1998 by community members who were confronted by the tragic reality that local victims of domestic violence and their children were living in their cars and out in the desert because they had nowhere to go. CAAFA has grown substantially since then, now serving victims of domestic and sexual violence from Pinal and eastern Maricopa Counties. They provide a 16-bed emergency shelter, support groups, legal advocacy, case management, sexual assault victim advocacy, nutritional support through food boxes, community outreach services, and more. Help Those In Need! Founded in 1998, the Community Alliance Against Family Abuse (CAAFA) is the first and only 501(c) (3) nonprofit sexual and domestic abuse service provider in Northern Pinal County. Located in Apache Junction, CAAFA is committed to providing services and resources for individuals, families and communities in Eastern Maricopa and Pinal Counties who are affected by domestic or sexual violence. Their Mission Empowering Individuals, Families And Communities To Be Free From Abuse Through Collaboration, Prevention, Awareness And Support. Due to the COVID pandemic Masonic Charities of Arizona was unable to present the grant in person. Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #7
www.compassionconnect.com/arizona In 2011 a small team of volunteers held Arizona’s first Compassion Clinic in Queen Creek. Through the success of the event the team learned that not only were the churches in their community hungry to work together, but the local people were seriously underserved. Exit interviews proved that the area had a huge lack of social services and community resources. The biggest problem was that social service agencies and churches providing services to this area needed a place to meet clients. The volunteers responded to this need by creating a brand new model to unite churches to serve: a community resource center they named the Compassion Care Center. A small building in an impoverished community that is referred to by residents as “Little Mexico” now provides a place where those in need can come and receive a wide variety of services ranging from parenting classes and pregnancy counseling to English as a second language classes, job services, rent and utility assistance, food, clothes, and much more. The Arizona team is powered by many volunteers whose faithful service has helped thousands of San Tan Valley residents receive compassionate health care and services. Our team in Arizona has been uniting churches to host a Compassion Clinic in Queen Creek, AZ since 2010. It was because of this Clinic that they were inspired to create the Compassion Care Center! Arizona’s Compassion Care Center is a community resource center that helps struggling families and individuals thrive by connecting them to local resources and services. Arizona’s first Design Studio launched in 2019 with the goal of serving, loving, and empowering young women who face obstacles in life that put them in harm’s way for human trafficking. We believe in the volunteer leaders, in those who are yet to rise up and in the potential of any community in the world to make a difference by uniting in Jesus-like service to its most hurting members. You have the heart to make a difference. We have the tools to make it a reality. Gila Valley Lodge No.9 brought this charity to Masonic Charities of Arizona and works with them year-round with volunteer hours and Lodge fund raisers.
Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #8
www.dvcontrolaltdelete.org On September 2, 2019 Control Alt Delete was founded to help people escape domestic violence by providing basic immediate needs to bridge the gap toward permanent independence. With community support, we provide short-term assistance such as transportation (cab rides, bus passes, fuel), temporary lodging, home security and lock change assistance, moving and storage, and a basic immediate needs bin (hygiene and other necessities) in order to remove the barriers that keep people in unsafe environments. Helping domestic violence victims reset from abuse, Control Alt Delete LLC is a federally designated 501(c)3 nonprofit located in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area. Their primary focus is removing the barriers that prevent domestic violence victims from fleeing abusive relationships. 98% of domestic abuse victims suffer financial abuse, and this is the #1 reason why domestic violence victims stay with their abusers. The abuser controls money, which the victim has no available financial resources to escape the relationship. THEIR MISSION They connect domestic violence victims with community resources and support by providing basic immediate needs. With support from our community we provide emergency cab rides, hotel accommodations, home security systems, lock change assistance, meals, storage and moving companies. Oriental Lodge No. 20 was very enthusiastically stepped forward to help award this grant. They are actively looking for way to support this Charity year round! Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #9
www.northlandfamily.org In 1978, Northland Crisis Nursery opened its doors for the first time with five beds for children under the age of four. At the same time, the Women’s Resource Center became a non-profit organization. These two organizations are the roots of Northland Family Help Center. Through the 80s, each agency provided many services to northern Arizona. From the Women’s Resource Center’s passion to end domestic violence to Northland Crisis Nursery developing the “Time-Out” program, their strengths and ideas gave life to Northland Family. In 1991, the two became one central organization…one strong, sheltering tree. Then in 1999, with the help of Arizona citizens, Northland Family Help Center opened what was named at the time “H.A.L.O. House” (Haven for Advocacy and Learning Opportunities), a unique facility housing our two separate shelters for women and children, with a total of 36 beds. As one central agency the staff and board carried on the passion and ideas of the organization to help families and individuals with relationship violence. Northland Family Help Center has continued to grow and evolve over the years. They currently have 40 beds in our Domestic Violence Shelter and Youth Shelter combined. Their Domestic Violence Shelter serves individuals and families of all genders. They strive to practice Trauma-Informed Care across all aspects of our agency’s work. Their Counseling, Legal Advocacy, and Community Education programs all serve residents in both shelters, in addition to the larger Northern Arizona community. In 2017, Northland began housing the local collaborative Flagstaff Initiative Against Trafficking (FIAT), in order to intervene in human trafficking and exploitation. Northland Family Help Center celebrated 40 years of service in 2018. Their Mission and Vision Northland Family Help Center’s mission is to provide safe haven, advocacy, counseling, and education to promote and restore healthy relationships. They envision a community where all people live in safety, where all forms of violence have been eradicated, and where healthy families and individuals serve as the foundation of a vibrant and productive community. The Charities partnered with Flagstaff Lodge No. 7 to present this important Grant. They are actively looking for way to support this Charity year round! Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #10
www.phoenixdreamcenter.org The Dream Center Network was founded by Tommy Barnett in 1994 with the first Dream Center in Los Angeles. They had one single mission – to Find A Need And Fill It, To Find A Hurt And Heal It. Since 1994, the Dream Center Network has been finding needs and filling them all over the world with over 300 Dream Centers healing hurts in communities around the globe. In 2002 the group began to Dream Big for the people of Phoenix and they started to build the Phoenix Dream Center. They started with community based outreach dedicated to ending childhood hunger among at-risk youth and homeless families. We started with just a few bags of groceries each week, and today deliver over 14,000 meals each week to help end childhood hunger.
This led to our recognizing the terrible role that addiction plays among many struggling individuals and the homeless. Our fight against drug addiction led to us building life recovery programs for people who were struggling with addiction. Today, their life recovery program helps over 1,000 individuals each year as they build a meaningful and sober life through their Christian faith. Through this work we became aware of the terrible tragedy of sex trafficking happening right here in Phoenix. Working closely with law enforcement and the faith community we began to do everything we could to stop human trafficking. This work led us to build what today is the nations largest human trafficking recovery program for young adults which helps over 100 survivors each year with full service residential behavioral health care each year. They found through this work that many trafficking survivors came out of the foster care system. We began to build programs in residential homes to help foster care age-out youth and we began to work with families to prevent children from needing to be removed from homes. This work became one of the largest residential and case management efforts in the state serving over 1,000 families, individuals and children in the foster care system each year. The work of the Phoenix Dream Center is financially supported primarily by individual donors from our community. In 2018 we achieved the milestone of ensuring that 100% of all individual financial donations goes direct to programs and none of it goes to administrative overhead. Board Member Russell Sayre visited Phoenix Dream Center and was joined by three (3) brothers from Saguaro Lodge 45. They took a tour of the facility where deeply impressed. Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #11
www.mtgrahamsh.org Mt. Graham Safe House will provide compassionate, caring and confidential assistance to those impacted by domestic or sexual violence. The safe house program will provide crisis intervention, assessment, advocacy and referral as needed, conducted in a safe, secure and confidential environment. Mt. Graham Safe House, Inc. (MGSH) was formed in 1995 to provide short term emergency housing to victims of domestic violence and their children. The director quickly realized that shelter alone simply wasn’t enough to make a real difference.
Advocacy services were quickly added, providing supportive services in shelter, in the office and in the community. Advocates will respond to emergency rooms and on scene in the MGSH service area for both victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. MGSH is a co-ed facility welcoming all victims of domestic violence. Pets are also welcomed and sheltered in an on-site pet facility keeping pets safe with their families. Safford Lodge No. 16 helped Masonic Charities to present the 2020 grant and looks forward to volunteering with the Safe House in the coming years!
Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #12
www.shoeboxministry.org Doing the little things, making a difference Shoebox Ministry coordinates the collection and distribution of toiletry items for people in the Phoenix Metro area who are experiencing homelessness and others who need, but cannot afford hygiene items Each month, Shoebox Ministry distributes 1,500+ hygiene kits to people in need because we believe that access to good hygiene is not just for the privileged but should be available to all. They distribute hygiene kits to over 45 Valley nonprofits agencies serving people experiencing homelessness, domestic violence survivors, children in the foster care system, the working poor, and other people who need, but cannot afford, hygiene items. The Challenge:
1 in 9 Arizonans can’t afford soap (and SNAP benefits won’t pay for it) 2,500 people are unsheltered and living on our streets nightly People living in recovery homes, shelters, or fleeing domestic violence situations have minimal resources and are the most vulnerable to COVID-19 Shoebox Ministry’s Solution: 1,500+ hygiene kits given away per month 45 local nonprofits served 13,000 people served annually Good hygiene = increased health, dignity, inclusion, & employment opportunities $1 = 2.5 days of hygiene for all How they Operate: Shoebox collects donated toiletry items from businesses and individuals. With money raised through fundraising and grants, Shoebox sometimes purchases toiletry items. Items are sorted, organized, packed into a shoebox or bag and given to partner agencies, who then distribute the hygiene kits to our network of nonprofit agencies, who then give them to individuals in their programs. They are entirely dependent on community support to collect and distribute toiletry kits. Your ongoing support and generosity is crucial to our continued ability to provide these items. Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #13
www.asteppingstone.org A Stepping Stone Foundation was created in 1989 when a handful of people with large hearts and small purses began a journey to create preschool experiences for every needy child in Arizona. Believing that early education is crucial for all children, and seeing the woeful number of children not being served that would most benefit, this group decided to make a difference. The Foundation put together a “Dream Plan” for a preschool to serve four-year-olds at risk of school failure. The Isaac School District indicated great need and a willingness to work with the Foundation and the rest is history! A Stepping Stone Foundation Board and Isaac School District created what was to be an award-winning program in the fall of 1990 and now, twenty-two years later A Stepping Stone Foundation has served more than 1700 families (over 5,000 people) in four different Phoenix school districts: Alhambra, Fowler, Isaac, and Murphy. In recent years, a model, child-centered family literacy program remains open in cooperation with the Alhambra School District. A new initiative, Stepping into the Future, was launched in February of 2013. A Stepping Stone currently collaborates with Alhambra Elementary School District to provide two preschool classes for a total of 35 three- and four-year-old preschool children, up to 13 younger siblings, and adult education and parenting classes for their parents in Phoenix, Arizona. Identified as those children most at risk of school failure due to low literacy in the home environment, children attend a quality preschool program. Their parents attend English and/or GED preparation classes while younger siblings attend a nurturing childcare setting. We provide money for the teachers’ salaries, technical assistance (teacher training, and student and parent assessment management), classroom learning equipment, books, and child care for younger siblings while the parents are in their classes and workshops. Our teachers have petty cash for special purchases such as food for classroom pets or ingredients for cooking. Because of its wide support base, the foundation is able to provide Christmas Angels for all children in each family, as well as new or gently used clothing, furniture, toys and books throughout the year. When a family disaster such as fire or death occurs, money and gifts are quickly gathered. Parties and celebrations are jointly planned and enjoyed by families and the Board. Phoenicia Lodge No. 58 was very happy to help present the 2020 grant! Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #14
www.thejoybusdiner.com The Joy Bus is a Not for Profit organization whose sole purpose is to relieve the daily struggles of homebound cancer patients with a fresh Chef Inspired meal and a friendly face. Their vision is to elevate the livelihood of our patrons with the joy of culinary sustenance. Founded in 2011 and named in honor of our dear friend Joy who struggled with the painstaking side-effects of cancer, ultimately losing her life to this horrific disease. Joy suffered from cancer in the 4 “L” s (in Joy's words) “Lungs, Liver, Lymphoids and Loveries”. Her drive and determination are inspirational to all those who fight her same battle and if a hot meal and a little compassion can brighten her day then it’s the least we can all do as humans and as a part of a community. Millions of cancer patients are left to fend for themselves during this turning point in their lives. The Joy Bus will relieve the burden put on families during this time by providing healthy meals specified to meet our patron’s needs. The Joy Bus delivers not only quality meals to your doorstep but compassion and a smiling face.
Now open in Phoenix, The Joy Bus Diner™ is a 100% nonprofit restaurant that’s helping make our Valley a tastier, happier place, one meal at a time. Serving hearty, made-to-order breakfast and lunch fare every Tuesday – Sunday from 7am – 2pm, every cent earned will be used to support The Joy Bus, a local charity that’s been bringing chef-inspired meals and caring conversations to cancer patients Valley-wide. Founded and operated by Jennifer Caraway, The Joy Bus Diner™ is the culmination of her five-plus year effort to improve the lives of local cancer patients through the power of a hand delivered meal and face-toface interaction. Inspired by a friend named Joy who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Caraway started dropping off home-cooked dinners and chatting with local cancer patients in need of a little good cheer. Over time it expanded into Valley-wide non-profit organization named The Joy Bus, which collects and cooks donated food for volunteers to deliver to patients around the Valley in need of a friendly face and an open ear. Most important, Caraway says, she’s been embraced by the local food community, with Crooked Sky Farms and others donating fresh food, while chefs including Tracy Dempsey (Tracy Dempsey’s Originals), Gio Osso (Virtu Honest Craft, Nico) and Bernie Kantak (Citizen Public House, The Gladly) all serve on The Joy Bus Board of Directors, and Fox Restaurant Concepts donating both financial support and culinary expertise. Arizona Lodge No. 2 is a big supporter of The Joy Bus and The Joy Bus Diner year round and jumped at the chance to present the 2020 Grant. They continue to work with the Charity year-round. Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #15
www.verdevalleysanctuary.org The Verde Valley Sanctuary began in 1993 as a grassroots organization of women who were concerned about domestic violence in our community. The original group of volunteers began taking crisis calls in their homes and transporting victims of abuse to the nearest shelters in Flagstaff, Prescott, and Phoenix. Since then the Verde Valley Sanctuary has strategically expanded and now offers comprehensive services for victims of family violence and assault including a 28 bed shelter, 24-hour crisis hotline, advocacy and counseling services, legal support and community wide education and prevention programs. The Verde Valley Sanctuary partners with many agencies in the community to help you get the support you need. This page will help find resources for: General Support Child Services and Parenting Support Food Jobs and Education Housing Health and Medical Central Arizona Lodge No. 14 helped to present the 2020 Grant to this very worthy charity.
Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #16
www.yeiworks.com Founded in 1974 ago in the “Kelly Building” on the corner Willis and Granite streets in Prescott, YEI! opened its doors with only 12 employees. Since then, YEI! has been providing job training, employment, volunteer placements, and support services for developmentally disabled adult residents within the Central Highlands. And, that is only the beginning! Their staff of 45 full and part-time exceptional people assist over 150 individuals daily at three training and employment facilities. YEI! continues to be known as a place where people with disabilities can find gainful employment and a sense of personal pride. They are proud to be recognized as a highly respected resource, garnering awards year after year for creating challenging work environments, as well as creating opportunities for our people to contribute to the community through volunteer services “Community Volunteer
Corps.” Step inside the doors of the Washington Avenue “General Headquarters” (WAI) and you’ll see a bustling crafts and activity room, and a fully abundant greenhouse filled with color and foliage, and three distinct production areas serving production partners from Central Prescott. Antelope Point at EastRidge (AP@E) is where you can reserve a meeting room, view our product showroom, and enjoy lunch with our guys and gals. Discover Ruger Airpark Industries (RAI) at the west end of Prescott Airpark where you’ll find our teams fulfilling orders and crafting up-to-the-minute manufacturing of quality patio furniture. Aztlan Lodge No. 1 invited their staff in to Lodge to present the 2020 Grant to this very worthy charity. Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #17
www.yoto.org Youth On Their Own (YOTO) is a dropout prevention program that supports the high school graduation and continued success of youth experiencing homelessness in Pima County. The organization was founded in 1986 when Ann Young, a guidance counselor in the Amphitheater School District, noticed that talented and motivated students were dropping out of school due to homelessness and being forced to live on their own without a parent or guardian. Inspired by the students’ tenacity and willingness to stay in school, other school counselors, teachers, volunteers, and community members came together to form YOTO with the goal of helping students graduate. After consulting with her fellow teachers, Young’s initial idea was to buy a home for a group of homeless teenage girls. She presented this proposal, along with the stories of the students she aimed to help, to a group gathered at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church dedicated to assisting Tucson’s homeless community. People were appalled at the situations they were in, and jumped at the opportunity to lend them a hand. Soon, Young had an army of volunteers. She even managed to raise $80,000 in a single morning, thanks to the generosity of the congregation. The money funded a group residence for homeless girls. Known as the St. Andrew’s Friendly Environment (SAFE) House, it quickly became apparent that SAFE House was not large enough to accommodate all of the students who needed services. It became increasingly expensive and was too much for one volunteer parent to handle. The community stepped forward again, and many families volunteered to take care of these students in need. It was an unexpected check from a New York City charitable foundation, though, that launched a stipend program to greatly increase the aid available to homeless teens. Young’s experience with the SAFE House, which closed after two years, encouraged her to further expand the program. She applied for grants and spread the word about the charitable work the organization was doing. At this point, it was known as the Pima County Homeless Teen Project — a marketing specialist later dubbed it Youth on Their Own — and Young knew that if she wanted to continue her project, she would have to apply to become a full-fledged 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation. After successfully gaining the designation, YOTO applied for and won a grant from Angel Charity for $100,000 for the stipend program in 1990. That funding coupled with a community-wide advertising campaign gave YOTO the exposure it needed to really take off and become the program it is today. Since then, over 16,000 homeless and compromised students have been empowered to stay in school and pursue opportunities for self-sufficiency. Downtown Lodge No. 86 was the Lodge that brought YOTO to Masonic Charities and is a little personal as it has members that have been helped by the Charity! Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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C h a r i t y
P r e s s
R e l e a s e :
It always warms our hearts when Youth On Their Own (YOTO) alumni reach out to support current YOTO youth! Having overcome so many obstacles themselves, YOTO Alumni embody the spirit of perseverance and resilience shared by our current YOTO youth! Several months ago, Roger Biede, Secretary of the Masonic Charities of Arizona, asked Freemason and Masonic Lodge member Eric Dupree to recommend a Tucson-area nonprofit for the organization to support. Without hesitation, Eric suggested YOTO! Thanks to Eric’s endorsement, Roger reached out to YOTO to share a grant opportunity. We applied, and were awarded a $1,500 grant to support youth experiencing homeless in our community! What makes this story extra special is Eric’s connection to YOTO. As a teenager, Eric found out that he was going to be a father. When his son was born, he transferred to Teenage Parent High School (TAP). Eric and his son’s mother were raising their son and living on their own, but they understood how important it would be to graduate high school. Through TAP, they found out about YOTO, enrolling as YOTO students in 1993. After two years in the program, both he and his son’s mother reached their goal of high school graduation! As YOTO students, Eric and his son’s mother both received monthly financial assistance (stipends) for attending school regularly and getting good grades. Eric recalled, “Being a teen parent was tough. We were trying to work and go to school at the same time while parenting. Having that little extra money each month to help with groceries or gas, it may seem small, but looking back on it, it was huge for us!” Today, Eric works at Sysco Food Services of Arizona, and as a member of both the Masonic Lodge and the Shriners, stays active in our community. Having become a Freemason in 2013, Eric shared his reason for wanting to join: “I had been around a lot of people that were Freemasons and they were just good people. I liked how they were always giving back to their community, they were always doing charity work and they weren’t really bragging about it – they weren’t looking for recognition. They were just doing it because they wanted to do it. That was something I wanted to be a part of.” Now that Eric has reconnected with YOTO, he’s very interested in giving back through his continued work with the Masonic Lodge and by hosting future fundraising events in support of YOTO youth. “I just think it’s a fantastic program! In my opinion, YOTO is the best local charity in southern Arizona!” We are so happy to have Eric, Roger, and the Masonic Charities of Arizona in the YOTO Family! Their generosity means that youth experiencing homelessness in our community will have the assistance and support they need to persevere and achieve their goals of high school graduation – just like Eric!
Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #18
www.veteransfurniturecenter.org The Veterans Furniture Center (VFC) was formed in 2009 as part of an effort to address the problems of veteran homelessness and poverty, under the umbrella of United for Change. On August 31, 2010, United for Change was granted 501(c)(3) status by the IRS. The Veterans Furniture Center quickly became the primary focus of United for Change. The initial mission was to collect, sort, and warehouse donations of used furniture and other items and make them available to veterans in need. Management paid professional movers from donations to United for Change to do the heavy work associated with pickup and delivery. By 2014, the organization struggled to keep up with demand based on limited financial resources. At that time, the only requirements for a veteran to obtain furniture were a DD-214 (military separation) and a newly signed lease for housing. A group of volunteer veterans, recognizing the value of the services provided, came to the aid of the VFC by running furniture drives and picking up used items and delivering them to the warehouse. The VFC’s dependence on these veterans quickly grew, but, over the next two years, the original management continued to struggle. A group of the volunteers, having seen the positive impact the deliveries were making and witnessing some of the management mistakes made by the original management, stepped forward to save the VFC. In the Fall of 2016, they took over the Board of Directors and assumed responsibility for operation and management. They also began to clean up and revise operations. At that point, the warehouse contained many unserviceable items (junk) and other items that, while of some value, were not useful to the needy veterans. The volunteers cleaned up and repaired the warehouse, disposed of unserviceable items, and sold off unusable ones, using the funds to continue the operation. A new policy was implemented requiring veterans in need to be referred to the VFC by the VA or one of five social service organizations that help veterans. Through the relentless efforts of the volunteers, furniture deliveries continued. The VFC has delivered every week since the new management took over, including holidays. Through financial support from the Arizona Dept of Veteran Services, the Arizona Diamondbacks, local veterans’ groups, many individuals, and an understanding landlord that provided the warehouse at submarket rates and was willing to overlook delayed rent payments at times, the VFC successfully regained its footing in 2017. Starting in 2019, all veterans we serve must be referred to the VFC by the VA and certified to be on the HUD-VASH program. to us by the VA. Since instituting this policy, we have found almost all the veterans referred to us as being those who need our help the most. Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #19
www.dreamcityschool.org Dream City Christian is a fully accredited school that serves Preschool through High School students. The TLC (The Learning Center) Program was initially developed to help meet the needs of our students who have been identified as needing academic interventions and accommodations. As they began working with students, parents and teachers, they discovered that spelling and reading were the most common concerns so our research into how to best meet our students’ needs began. They looked at several reading programs, but they just didn’t seem to address our concerns. Then they found Susan Barton’s research and website and their eyes were opened to the hidden world of dyslexia. If you break your arm and your arm is in a cast, there is visible evidence of a disability. In contrast, dyslexia is a hidden disability; there’s no external sign on you saying you are dyslexic. Students with dyslexia are often very bright and possess a strong intellect with outstanding reasoning and analytic abilities and yet read slowly, at times, speak with mispronunciations and hesitations, and spell poorly. Symptoms include hesitancy with reading; misreading; difficulty with sequencing; poor organizational and time management skills; difficulty with organizing thoughts clearly, and erratic spelling. Dyslexia is the primary reason students struggle with spelling, then written language. Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects reading and spelling. Very few people truly understand dyslexia. The majority of the population believes that dyslexia is a disorder of reversing letters and numbers, but dyslexia is much more complex than that. Some individuals with dyslexia do confuse letters and numbers, but the key markers of dyslexia are poor word identification and spelling skills. In reading, an individual with dyslexia has difficulty quickly recognizing words they read, even if these words are very common. In spelling, an individual with dyslexia may have trouble sequencing the sounds of the word in order or remembering the specific spelling patterns so they will tend to spell words the way they sound, rather than how they look (e.g. thay for they, becus for because). Their staff has been trained by Susan Barton to effectively screen students and identify those needing dyslexia tutoring. Once identified, they work with parents to develop a tutoring schedule (1 hour, twice a week minimum) with a qualified tutor using the Barton Reading and Spelling Program. Students will begin with level one and continue through all ten levels of the tutoring program. Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #19
www.operationenduringgratitude.org Operation Enduring Gratitude is an energetic group of community minded people with a focus on helping veterans and their families with life support activities. For example, the group has installed 60 ramps and renovated a number of living quarters for those veterans and family members who are unable to assist themselves due to financial and other limitations. The group works on referrals from members, local governmental personnel, and veterans groups. The Grant that Masonic Charities of Arizona presented was earmarked for a very special November project where two veterans were built ramps into their houses allowing more freedom in their own homes. The project was a success and the Veterans were amazingly thankful. The 2020 Grant was presented with the help of Acacia Lodge No. 42 who continues to volunteer time throughout the year.
www.azmasoniclibrary.org Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #20
First Step Work Shop was founded in 1980 by longtime Holbrook resident, Corky Demarse. Mrs. Demarse was herself the mother of a learning disabled adult, and saw the need for a local program to enhance the lives of similar members of the Holbrook community. Helen Lucero is the current director of First Step and runs a program for 12 learning disabled adults. The most visible aspect of the First Step organization is the Thrift Store. Some of the clients work in a processing area for incoming donations with special attention to cleaning used clothing. The Thrift Store also benefits the Holbrook community as a source of low cost clothing and household items for local families. Some of the clients also have part time employment cleaning nearby businesses. Other clients spend time learning basic life skills. Clients also have the opportunity to develop their athletic skills by participating in the annual Special Olympics program. Friday is usually set aside as a fun day. Clients are able to cash their pay checks and frequently make trips to favorite restaurants for a special lunch. Other activities include recreational trips to area movie theatres and ordering food from fast food eateries in the Holbrook area.
During the Christmas season a special party for the clients and staff of First Step is sponsored by the Holbrook Kiwanis Club and takes place in the dining room of Chalcedony Lodge #6, Free and Accepted Masons. First Step Workshop, while a quiet member of the Holbrook community, provides hope and dignity to a segment of the town’s population that might otherwise be totally forgotten. Chalcedony Lodge No. 6 was very happy to help present the charity grant!
Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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MASONIC CHARITIES GRANT #21
www.clctucson.org ONE-OF-A-KIND IN SOUTHERN AZ
Programs are designed to help young children, 2 ½ – 5 years of age, develop speech, language, and pre-literacy skills. All screening, evaluation, and therapy sessions are performed, or supervised, by Speech-Language Pathologists who hold a Master’s degree and Clinical Certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). In addition to acting as a service center, the clinic serves as an active research and educational training center for students who are enrolled in the Speech Language Pathology training program work through the Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) at The University of Arizona. The mission of the CLC is to benefit children with language disorders through unique, specialized early intervention programs, and to support research and professional training to improve language learning.
WINGS ON WORDS (WOW) Summer Camp This intensive five-week camp is designed to boost young children’s speech, language and literacy development. This innovative program includes individualized and small group speech and language therapy for children with speech or language delays or the struggling early reader. Instead of losing valuable instructional time in the summer, children enrolled in camp make impressive gains in speech, language, and pre-academic skills – and have great fun in the process! The staff includes experienced, certified teachers and speech-language pathologists and graduate student clinicians providing a low (1:4) staff-to-child ratio.
Masonic Charities of Arizona—Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Arizona
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Charity The Greeks had a word, charisma, meaning a gift, and a number of words from the same root, variously suggesting rejoicing, gladness. The Latins had a similar word, carus, and meaning dear, possibly connected with am or, signifying love. From these roots came "grace," meaning a free, unbought gift, as in the theological phrase, "the grace of God," and "charity." Strictly speaking, charity is an act done freely, and spontaneously out of friendship, not as a civic duty and grudgingly, as is sometimes the case in public charity. The Masonic use of the word is much nearer this original sense, for a Mason extends relief to a needy brother not as a duty but out of friendship. - Source: 100 Words in Masonry