On Thursday, June 23, Seaside Masonic Lodge #144 presented a check in the amount of $3,000 to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry as a donation in memory of long time Masonic brother Curtis West. Brother West was a member for 59 years and this donation corresponds with Brother West’s 100th birthday on July 1. Presenting the check were Jeffrey Norwood, Past Master and secretary of Seaside Lodge, Arnold Thibodeau, Past Master of Seaside Lodge and Linc Sample the current Master. Receiving the check were Fleet Davies , co-president of the Food Pantry and Greg Barter, vice president.

This donation was made possible by the charity fund of the lodge and a 2 to 1 matching grant from the Maine Masonic Charitable Fund. The MMCF provides numerous grants to all the Lodges within the state, allowing those Lodges to make a greater impact in their community than they otherwise might be able.

Thanks to the efforts of Executive Director Susan Scacchi and the Board the Foundation provided $725,000 in community grants through 390 donations to various lodges. The foundation funds such efforts as Bike for Books, brotherhood Relief and Masonic Medical Research Institute as well as community efforts such as the Food Pantry.

The Food Pantry provides healthy choices for families in need, serving over 120 families region wide regularly. The board works through donations such as this as well as direct donations from businesses and grants to make sure those in need have a place to turn.

To learn more about either organization go to masoniccharitablefoundation.org for the MMCF or foodpantries.org/li/boothbay region food pantry 04537 for the BRFP