Joseph Lodge No. 259 Star of Bethlehem No. 57, which is a local masonic lodge, came together to donate approximately 150 cans of food to the Clarksdale CARE Station for the Christmas season.
Each member of the chapter in the lodge, along with other individuals in the community, donated cans.
The lodge makes donations on a regular basis and has done so for several years, but this was the first time it helped the CARE Station.
“We’ve donated to the Clarksdale Home Mission Society, also to Memorial Hospice when they were in business,” said lodge worthy matron Gloria Brown.
She said, this year, the lodge chose the CARE Station to help feed others in the community.
“We wanted to give something back to the community and this is what we do as an outreach for our masonic district lodge,” Brown said. “We give back to the community.
“This is an outreach to the community from Joseph Lodge No. 259 Star of Bethlehem No. 57.”
Verna Jones, who has been a cook at the CARE Station since 1987, expressed her appreciation for the donation.
“It means a lot because we feed about 1,000 people within a week,” she said. “We’re feeding 200 a day so that is 1,000 a week. So that means a lot for us to have these canned goods because we’re constantly opening up.
“We opened up so many cans today you wouldn’t believe it. We did a lot today and fed that many people. A lot of times we don’t get a chance to see them (the donors). It’s such a blessing.”
Jones said she was so grateful to the masonic lodge.
“Every time somebody gives a can, they are touching the CARE Station lives,” she said. “It helps out so much.”
