The North Carolina Mason

May/June 2017 The North Carolina Mason Page 3 OUTREACH, from page 1 357, from page 2 SAVE THE DATE! Plan to join e Masonic Home for Children in Oxford, this fall, for the 7th Annual Masonic Homecoming Festival, set for Oct. 13-15. is celebration of North Carolina's first home for children honors those who have lived here and those who have made it possible – our Masons. e weekend kicks off Friday with the Oxford Orphanage/ Masonic Home for Children Alumni Association's annual golf tournament, Chip Shots for Chil- dren. Spend Friday evening at MHCO's Yard Party featuring music from Tim Cifers. Join us again Saturday to enjoy the state's best Shrine parade, dance to the music of Jim Quick & Coastline, and enjoy delicious BBQ and chicken on campus, courtesy of our cooking teams – or participate as your own BBQ team. While at the home, celebrate our Masonic history of charity and visit the Sallie Mae Ligon Museum and Archives, take a tour of the children's cottages, and see the School of Graphic Arts. Make this a weekend to remember, to celebrate and to support MHCO. Hope to see you there! Visit www.mhc-oxford.org for more information and updates. e program can, among many other things, help people find medical equipment, assist in finding and applying for benefits from Medicaid or the Veterans Admin- istration, pitch in on the rent for a while, help arrange for food stamps or Meals on Wheels, even help examine budgets to make those dollars stretch as far as possible. e mission is to get people what they need – not to be just another deep pocket. "is is not a blank check," Carter said. "We allocate for what they need through third party providers and community resources as available." Kolada agreed. "We will provide, mostly, short- term financial assistance where needed. An example of that might be that a couple from eastern North Carolina who needs $300 a month for a while to get past a rough patch when a visit to the dentist set them back. We help them get back on their feet," he said. "ere may be cases where longer-term assistance is needed, and we'll deal with that as it happens and as resources are available." He said the program also will be a resource for Masons who know of brothers and sisters in distress, but don't know where to turn. "Just call us and we can help find the resources you need," he said. It's too soon to tell how successful the program will be but indications are good from similar Masonic programs in California, Missouri and the state of Washington that this is a service whose time has come, Carter said. Carter is a social worker who has worked extensively for Humana, and has significant experience in caring for seniors. For now, she is both director and the sole coordi- nator. "To start, I'll be covering all of North Carolina, but once word gets out, we are expecting we will need to develop a larger program" with regional case, she said. e program has already won fans among brothers who heard Kolada outline the plan at recent district meetings. It debuts with a strong endorsement from Grand Master Gene Cobb. "Who does not know somebody in their family or among their friends who just don't want to go to a retirement home or seek help elsewhere? Who doesn't know someone who wants to be in their own home and live their lives as they want – but might need a hand in times of trouble?" Cobb asked. "is program is one of the greatest advancements ever in the lives of our brothers and sisters and allows us to truly live up to our promise to care for those in need." More details will be released soon directly to lodges and chapters. Also watch for updates on Grand Lodge and North Carolina Mason Facebook pages. Questions or have a need? Contact Crystal Carter at 336-601-5593 or email her at ccarter@meshhome.org. You CAN go home again! Mark your calendar for this year's Homecoming at the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford. Home celebrates Masons during Homecoming 2017 said. "What a lot of people don't know is that visiting Masonic speakers and writers who do the program are telling folks around the country that North Carolina has a good thing going on with 357." Most Masons go to meetings, join in the occasional fundraiser and go home, it seems. Why take it to this next level? "Being a student of Freemasonry and having taken my own deep dive into it, I know that it has the ability to change a man's life. Masonry changed my life and made me a better person," Wallace said, smiling. "I am a believer with a cause." Brothers at the 25th District Meeting in Mount Airy on March 21 stand together wearing orange ribbons in support of WB Brother Phil McCraw's fight against MS. Thanks to Phil's son, WB Stephen McCraw, for the ribbons and for raising awareness.

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