Lodge 628 Donates Food

From February to October 2015, J. Simpson Africa Lodge No. 628, in Stroudsburg, ran a program called “JSA Soup-er Bowl.” Bro. Brian Massie, then Worshipful Master, challenged all members to bring a canned good to each stated lodge meeting. At the end of the program’s run, the lodge membership surpassed the previous year’s donations by about 26 pounds – donating over 300 pounds of canned food and three turkeys!

In early November, Paul’s House, in Broadheadsville, received the food and used it to prepare a Thanksgiving feast for its residents. Paul’s House is part of Valor Clinic; a grassroots non-profit organization focused on veterans’ quality of life and health care. Their unique approach addresses both visible and invisible wounds and their secondary effects, to include homelessness and substance abuse. Their integrated system includes rural health clinics, assisted living facilities, homeless shelters, halfway houses and Sanctuary health retreats. Furthermore, they provide accessible combat injury specific and general health care to our veterans in rural and limited availability areas. Additionally, they provide assisted living housing to veterans who cannot care for themselves due to service connected injuries or illness. Their homeless veteran recovery program integrates health care, a homeless shelter, halfway house, counseling and mentorship as a means to transition homeless veterans back into society.

Pictured (left to right): Bro. Wando Holt; Bro. Andrew BeauChamp; Bro. Michael Sachs; Valor Clinic/Paul’s House Volunteer, Eve; Bro. Robert Finkelstein; Bro. Brian W. Massie, PM