Mahomet Lodge #220 Feeds their Local Youth
Mahomet Lodge #220 presents Youth Organization Connection to Mahomet Area Youth Club. Far Left: Meg Rawley, Mahomet Area Youth Club Director. Far Right: Worshipful Master of Mahomet Lodge #220 Vance Martin.
With the end to the food waivers on June 30th, many food programs are experiencing a hardship obtaining the food necessary to ensure that local youth are fed during the summer months. One such program is the Mahomet Area Youth Club. Seeing this need, they reached out to their community with a plea to donate lunch to the young members this summer.
The Mahomet Area Youth Club was established in 1994 as an extension of the Don Moyers Boys and Girls Club. They are a not for profit group that serves children ages 6 to 18. With participation in the club, youth are provided with a variety of opportunities to learn and grow. The Mahomet Area Youth Club’s goal is to improve student attendance, grades, behavior, and school engagement. They have programs that serve over 1,000 throughout the year. With the rising cost of food and the loss of food waivers, the Mahomet Area Youth Club found it difficult to ensure that it’s members were fed during their summer programs.
One of the community partners that decided to take on the plea for food is the Mahomet Lodge #220. Mahomet Lodge #220 pledge to provide lunches for 110 children that were participating in summer programing over three separate days. To accomplish this, Mahomet Lodge #220 reached out to Illinois Masonic Children’s Assistance Program (IMCAP). IMCAP partnered with Mahomet Lodge #220 through the Youth Organization Connection to provide $600 to buy food. Mahomet Lodge #220 provided pizzas on two days and made sandwiches with chips for the third day.
The Youth Organization Connection is a program to partner with our Illinois Masonic Lodges to provide assistance to local youth organizations that the Lodges are passionate about. This program provides microgrants to the organizations on behalf of the local Lodge. IMCAP is very grateful to be able to work with our Lodges to make a difference in community youth.
Does your Lodge sponsor a youth organization or event that could benefit from the Youth Organization Connection? Visit the link below in order to learn all about this opportunity and how to apply.