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Masonic Brothers Make an Impact for the BetterSeptember 1, 2021
Masons from Marquis de Lafayette Lodge #41 and Denver Lodge #5
The Masons’ tagline and guidepost is the value of “making good men better,” and striving to help make better communities too. On a late summer weekend, they came together to do just that while cultivating camaraderie among their members.
They worked shoulder to
shoulder to cut, trim, pull, dig out and stack all kinds of overgrown plants
and weeds of the DDRC Belmar apartments in Lakewood, currently serving 8 adults
with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
They
painted a long stretch of privacy fence, trimmed trees, and cut bushes to
create wider, easier walkways for residents. They spread new mulch to create a
fresh look and pulled many dying bushes from the streetside to give the
property a prouder, neat look. It was two days of work, creating heaping piles
of debris and filling a big dumpster, and when they were done, they made the
yard better - a lot better. In fact, they transformed the property!
Apartment residents and the Masons got together
briefly in the yard to meet each other while sharing refreshments. ”Wow!”
exclaimed Eric, one of the residents, “This looks so different and bigger! Now
we can walk all the way around the pavilion. Thank you.” The other residents
nodded in agreement, saying it looked so nice, and expressing thanks. Voni
McDonald, DDRC Lead Counselor at Belmar said, “We are so grateful we can get
back out here and enjoy the space more, especially with COVID, when other
options have been limited. Thank you, Masons!” The get-together gave the
Mason’s a firsthand idea of the people benefiting from their efforts and the
impact they were making.
This would not have been
possible were it not for the values of the Masons, and especially due to Grant
Sanders, Mason, who helped to spearhead the initiative. Grant invited
participants from his lodge, the Marquis de Lafayette Lodge #41, who came as a
large contingent, as well as Masons from Denver Lodge #5. They all worked hard,
were so congenial, and seemed truly gratified to see the impact of their
efforts.