Every Freemason learns the core values of Freemasonry early on. Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth are at the heart of everything we do. Among the three, Relief is the tenet that shows up outside of the Lodge, impacting even those who aren’t Freemasons. For decades, The Grand Lodge of Ohio Charitable Foundation has given Freemasons the opportunity to put this into practice, time and time again.
Established in 1994, the foundation was created to allow Masons to help other Masons. As it grew over the years, it has turned into something much greater: a network of funds and programs designed to target several different needs. Below is a look at what they do, and how you can be involved.
(1) The Masonic Relief Fund
The Masonic Relief Fund provides direct financial assistance to Master Masons, their widows, and their orphans when hardship hits — illness, storms, the loss of a brother. It’s Masons helping Masons, plain and simple, and it’s the fund that lets a lodge show up for one of its own when it matters most.
Take Bro. Rex Rumley of Canal Winchester Lodge #670, a 33-year Mason who could no longer leave home for the medical care he needed. His brothers stepped in and built him a ramp: one small act that made all the difference. Read his story here.
(2) Masonic Model Student Assistance Program (MMSAP)
MMSAP offers one to three-day training seminars which the Grand Lodge of Ohio Charitable Foundation subsidizes where students facing pressures like bullying and drugs learn to support each other and form safer communities. School faculty and staff across the state learn how to identify and support at-risk students, spot warning signs in academics, health, behavior, and attendance, and then build a plan tailored to each child’s needs. The training itself is delivered by staff from the National Masonic Foundation for Children, and Ohio Masons cover the full cost — training, materials, and accommodations — so it’s free to every school that takes part.
(3) Ohio Masonic Communities
Known to many Ohio Masons as “our greatest charity,” the Ohio Masonic Communities helps people age respectfully, giving seniors the option to remain independent while enjoying an active lifestyle. Founded over 125 years ago by the Grand Lodge, the York Rite, and the Scottish Rite, it now operates as an independent corporation with representatives from each on its board. Campuses in Springfield, Waterville, and Medina offer everything from independent living to memory care, a genuine community for living well in one’s senior years.
For those who’d rather stay in their own homes, the Masonic Communities Resource Center (toll-free at 877-881-1623) connects members of the Masonic family and Ohioans alike to the financial, social, and clinical support they need, wherever they need it.
(4) Veterans and First Responders Fund: Current 1st Lady’s Charity
Every Masonic year, the Grand Lodge’s First Lady chooses a charitable focus of her own alongside the Grand Master’s term, often shaped by something deeply personal. It’s a reminder that behind every fund and every program are real people, choosing causes that matter to them and inviting the rest of the fraternity to join in.
This year, First Lady Colleen Johnson has chosen to focus on veterans, first responders, and their families. Read her story here.
Established as a permanent fund of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, the Veterans and First Responders Fund is a direct expression of Masonic respect for the people who protect our communities.
Brother Thomas Moe, 33°, embodies why this fund matters. A Vietnam POW who survived over five years at the Hanoi Hilton, he went on to lead Ohio’s Department of Veterans Services.
(4) Scholarships
Each spring, the Grand Lodge of Ohio Charitable Foundation awards scholarships to a deserving young man and woman in every one of Ohio’s Masonic districts. Applicants don’t need any connection to a Freemason to apply! It’s one of the clearest examples of Masonic Relief reaching beyond the fraternity itself, and it’s grown in recent years thanks to the Ohio Freemason license plate program, which channels every plate purchase straight into scholarship funding.
Recipient Brock Woodworth heard about the scholarship through his father’s lodge and his DeMolay advisors, proof that the word travels through Masonic families in more ways than one. Read his story here.
(5) Museum and Library
History matters to Freemasons, and the Foundation helps fund the preservation of Ohio’s Masonic heritage, including records, artifacts, and stories that connect today’s members to more than two centuries of Ohio Freemasonry. Last year, the Museum and Library “went digital” by uploading hundreds of items to the website. Now members can choose to visit in-person in Springfield, or browse online.
How to Get Involved
Every one of these funds relies on the generosity of Ohio Masons and their communities. Gifts to the Grand Lodge of Ohio Charitable Foundation can be designated to any specific fund: Relief, MMSAP, Veterans and First Responders, Scholarships, or wherever the need is greatest. Click here to learn more, or head straight to the donate page to give.
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This article was originally published by Freemason.com. Read the full original article here.