Charity work of Bellevue #273

Past Master Steven Hessler with Sandy Baum,
President of the Board for the Village House, and her husband Charlie at the Grand Master's Reception
In 2015, Bellevue Lodge helped raise over $7000 for the Village House, a non-profit organization that assists children in the middle of custody disputes, by securing a donation from the Grand Lodge of Ohio Charitable Foundation.
The Masonic Fraternity is not an organized charity. It is a group that teaches men that being charitable is one of the central characteristics of a good man.
Much has been publicized about Freemasonry's contributions to worthy causes throughout the world. Perhaps the most notable of these are the Shriner's Childrens Hospitals, which provide free medical care for children with burns or other debilitating conditions. Ohio Masons have been a significant contributor towards Ohio's Special Olympics, held each summer at The Ohio State University.
However, Masonic charity is not limited to support for established, institutionalized charity. Often, Masonry's charitable acts are simple and understated actions by individual Masons or local Lodges with little to no fanfare. Every Lodge has stories of a time when the men came together to assist a hospitalized brother, send an anonymous gift to a local family in need of financial assistance, or help a Mason's widow with straightening out her departed spouse's affairs. These are examples of the type of "Masonic Charity" that members are encouraged to participate in--not necessarly monetary donations, but actions that strengthen friendships, families, and communities.
That being said, it is easier to quanitify the monetary contributions of Lodges, for persons who are interested in more concrete answers. Bellevue Masonic Lodge has donated to the following causes in the past few years:
1. Donations to local individuals dealing with significant health expenses
2. Monetary donations as well as canned food drives to benefit the Bellevue Fish & Loaves food pantry
3. Regular monetary contributions to the Ohio Masonic Rest Homes and Retirement Communities
4. Financial donations to support a program by the Bellevue Police department to assist in child safety education
.