My Lodge’s Type of Charity

My Lodge, Pride of Mt. Pisgah #135, Dallas, Texas prefers to do its charitable/community outreach with programs that takes them directly to the people to actually perform a service or provide relief in some manner to those in their own community who they can meet face to face.  In other words we are not big on Institutionalized Charity nor do we desire to turn Freemasonry into a Service Club.  As Masons we are called to help those in need if within the length of our cable tow.  But my Lodge wants a direct connect with those who they aid.

Thus we do Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets which we present directly to the people who are receiving them. Our latest venture is involvement in the Keep Dallas Beautiful program sponsored by the City of Dallas, whereby we enter a section or area of the community and clean up, fix & repair and make attractive areas of the community as well as individual private property.  Last Saturday was our second work day in the community which we have now adopted.  Past Master LaGrone explains the program and what we accomplished in more detail.

“On September 26th along with the Keep Dallas Beautiful program the Pride of Mount Pisgah #135 P.H.A. successfully completed phase one for our adopted community, Cedar Oaks.  When I first brought this idea to the lodge to increase our community service and visibility, we unanimously voted to participate in 4 events throughout the year to help communities identified as needing assistance.  We later voted to adopt Cedar Oaks as our own and in the past have picked up trash and last week painted a retaining wall.”

“The Cedar Oaks community was phase one of the pilot program of Keep Dallas Beautiful (KDB).  As KDB is a city funded program, each year the city of Dallas  moves to a new phase and  adopts new communities while  dropping  the communities from the existing year after providing a year of support.  Speaking with W.M. Williams the decision has been made to continue to support Cedar Oaks as a community providing whatever assistance we can within the length of our cable tow. “

“I wanted to thanks all the brothers that have participated and wished to participate as well as our W.M. for his commitment to the community.”

Memo

To: Fran Phillips, President, KDB, Jim Hobbs, KDB

From:     Joy McBeth, Community Projects Manager, VCNT

CC:       Dan Fitzgerald, Chief Financial Officer, VCNT

Shari Hicks, City of Dallas

Date:     September 28, 2009

Re: Pride in Your Neighborhood Cedar Oaks Beautification Event

Event Date: Saturday, September 26, 2009

Event Time: 8am – 12 noon

Total Attendees:           19

KDB Board Members:    1

(External) Volunteers: 7

City Employees: –

VCNT Staff: 1

Residents: 10

In-kind donations:       Water, Gatorade

Total Expenses: $17.72

Overview:

The residents of Cedar Oaks and volunteers from the Mt. Pisgah Masons group were involved in a neighborhood beautification project this past weekend.  Mr. Taylor, HOA leader, identified a retaining wall at the entrance of the community on Marsalis Ave. that needed re-painting.   Residents and volunteers painted over graffiti as they gave the wall a fresh coat of paint.

Next Steps:

Cedar Oaks has completed its second beautification event and is now ready to begin the home improvement incentive.  We plan to conduct site visits and begin the work this week.