
Donor Profile: Antonio Cimarra
An aviation expert, this SoCal Mason has seen Masonic relief up close. Thatâs why now, he makes a point of giving back.
As a social worker and hospice expert, Robert Sachs knew that the right support at the right time can transform someoneâs life. And from serving as master of King Davidâs Lodge â 209 in San Luis Obispo, he knew that Masonic Outreach Services offered that kind of help.
But it wasnât until he became a funeral master for the fraternity and started meeting with widows of deceased members that he discovered how few people understood the range of services the fraternity could actually offer them. Nearly every time he approached a widow to ask if they needed help connecting to Masonic Outreach Services, theyâd tell him they hadnât heard of it. âIt shocked me,â he says. The lack of awareness was widespread.
âYouâre told that the Masonic Outreach Services number is on the back of your dues card,â Sachs”says. âBut in terms of whatâs actually possible through itâthe counseling services, even financial helpâit wasnât really known.â
Sachs was determined to change that, at least in his corner of the state. So he got involved in the fraternityâs lodge outreach program, which trains volunteers from Masonic lodges in each division to get in contact with elderly or needy Masons, their families, and their widows, and to explain the services available to them. Now, at quarterly meetings, he and other volunteers talk about their toughest outreach challenges and how to lean on one another to solve them. They learn about the services that MOS offers to fraternal family membersâbenefits just waiting to be tapped into.
While most Masons are familiar with the Masonic Homes senior housing campuses in Union City and Covina, itâs actually through Masonic Outreach Servicesâa division of the Masonic Homes organizationâthat the vast majority of Masonic assistance reaches those in need. MOS provides guidance, care management, and in some cases financial support to Masons, widows, and eligible family members no matter where they live, even outside California. Itâs helped hundreds of elderly people age at home safely and with dignity by connecting them with in-home care. Itâs helped others navigate health crises, job losses, and major challenges regardless of age. âMOS was created so our members and their loved ones donât have to face tough times alone,â says Sabrina Montes, executive director. âAging at home, financial insecurityâthese problems can be really hard to solve by yourself. But you donât have to.â
Since launching in the early 2000s, the program has quietly become the fraternityâs dominant source of Masonic relief. In 2021, it served 492 people through $3.5 million in support, up 20 percent from five years ago.
Itâs all thanks to two things: funding through membersâ dues and donations, and volunteers through the lodge outreach program.
Masonic Outreach Servicesâ nine care managers are trained in social work, so they know how to track down community resources to help with the cost of housing, food, and transportation. They can also provide hands-on case management and financial relief. And by partnering with outreach volunteers, they can help fraternal family anywhere in the state or even the country. Volunteers like Sachs do the day-to-day work of outreach, such as driving clients to doctorsâ appointments, helping with household chores, and providing simple companionship.
âMOS was created so our members and their loved ones donât have to face tough times alone.â
At other times, outreach volunteers make a difference by encouraging members to simply pick up the phone.
Thatâs what happened with one particular member of Sachsâs lodge. The member had endured a series of health crises and financial challenges, and he was struggling to pay rent and afford his medication. Sachs urged him to call MOS. Months later, he saw the man at a lodge dinner. âHe comes up to me and says, âMaking that call changed everything for me,ââ Sachs recalls. ââI wouldnât have done it if you hadnât made the suggestion.ââ
Slowly but surely, as Sachs has clued more members in to the work of Masonic Outreach Services, that kind of exchange is becoming more common. Itâs the shift heâs been working toward. âNow thereâs a lot more awareness in the lodge,â Sachs says. âWhen something comes up, youâll suddenly hear a brother say, âHave you ever thought of MOS?ââ
For support and information about Masonic Outreach Services,
call (888) 466-3642.
To volunteer with the Lodge Outreach Program,
call (888) 466-3642 or email lodgeoutreach@mhcuc.org
RELIEF FOR CALIFORNIA MASONS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Contact us today to access your member benefits and services:
masonichome.org
(888) 466-3642
mcyaf.org
(877) 488-6293 (San Francisco)
(626) 251-2300 (Covina)
ILLUSTRATION CREDIT:
Noah McMillan
An aviation expert, this SoCal Mason has seen Masonic relief up close. Thatâs why now, he makes a point of giving back.
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