2018 IMPACT REPORT Because of You... Your commitment of time, talent and treasure is the reason your Foundation has had such a profound impact on so many lives. It is also because of you, that Freemasonry is again a vibrant and relevant organization and Freemasons are once more being recognized as leaders in our communities. You have faithfully supported Freemasonry and your Foundation. In an effort to bring you more value, more benefits and more support, the Grand Lodge of Michigan, working together with the Foundation and the Michigan Masonic Home has introduced the 20/20 project. This program has encouraged Your Grand Lodge, Your Foundation and Your Masonic Home to work “By joining our efforts, closer together than ever before. It is designed to assist all three organizations by sharing services, we will all realize better such as Finance, Marketing, Outreach and Member outcomes, working more Care, among others. By joining our efforts, we will all realize better outcomes, working more efficiently efficiently and more and more effectively than ever before. Our goal is effectively than ever Shared Success, meaning we are working for the benefit of each other. before.” This is an exciting time for your Foundation. We have gone through a great deal of change this past year, but the long-term outlook for your Fraternity, Your Masonic Home and Your Foundation are immeasurable. You have seen great progress made over the past few years. You understand the importance of always striving to be the best we can be. The 20/20 project will help us achieve that goal. The purpose of this publication is to keep you informed and inspired. Every life touched, every community impacted, happens because of you! You are the Difference! Thank you for everything you do. Fraternally, Walt Wheeler, PGM Executive Director 2 | MMCF Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation Because of You! 5,614 children participated in the Child ID Program and received full ID kits at 124 events. 393students received $ scholarships from 118,645.00 135 lodges totaling $370,000 distributed to distressed Masons. their widows and orphans $ 246,037 9,165 distributed to 299 calls came in to the Community Charities Live Better At Home through our call center. Matching Funds Program. We assisted 2,442 people. 64,924 $10,345 days of service provided for Masons donated to assist and affiliated Together we are Master Masons residents living at changing lives in furthering their Masonic Pathways. through charity! education. Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation 2018 Impact Report MMCF | 3 Donor Profile Jim and Naomi are the epitome of the American Way, working hard their whole lives. Jim was a plant shift operating supervisor for Consumers Energy, and Naomi was a stay at home mom who worked a variety of odd jobs. They moved many times and lived all over Michigan, brought up two children, and because other children came into their life that needed a helping hand, they took in four foster children. Eventually, they retired to Florida. They believed in giving back to Masonry, their Church, and their community. Jim was a member of Grand Haven Lodge No. 139 and Alma Lodge No. 244. He was Past Master of Grand Haven Lodge, the past president of the International High Twelve and his local High Twelve Club secretary. He was a member of the Shrine and High Priest of 123 Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons. Naomi has been a member of the Order of Eastern Star for many years and is a current member of Alma Chapter #43. They have always been active in the United Methodist Church, with both in choir and Jim as a past Sunday school teacher. Volunteering in the community has been very important to both of them. Jim volunteered for the Red Cross and was a CPR instructor for many years, and Naomi seemed to always end up in a kitchen helping with special events and meals. In his retirement years, Jim’s health began to decline. He started to weaken and needed dialysis treatments. It was then they decided to move to Masonic Pathways Village Estates. They thought they would get established early, make friends and enjoy all the facility had to offer. Earlier this year the couple had to move into Masonic Pathways main building, where Jim received the ongoing care he needed. Jim used to say, “this is like living in a big beautiful home with family all around you.” In March, Jim laid down his working tools, but because of his generosity and others that came before him, he is at peace knowing his beloved wife Naomi will be taken care of in every way, and their children will have no burden to carry. Donations made to the Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation truly have life changing impact on your Masonic family, thank you for your kindness and generosity. 4 | MMCF Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation B.E.S.T. Grants Build.Enrich.Strengthen.Transform Masonry is the world’s first and largest fraternal organization, and is based on the belief that each man has a responsibility to help make the world a better place. Through our culture of philanthropy, we make a profound difference for our Brothers, our families, our communities, and our future. This time honored tradition is why, in 2016, we rolled out the Masonry’s B.E.S.T. Community Grant. We are committed to enhancing our communities and improving the lives of our citizens. Since its inception, we have awarded 1.5 million dollars to over 60 outstanding non-profit organizations. These organizations have invested time, money, and most importantly, a great deal of love into the improvement of life for thousands of individuals throughout the state of Michigan. One such organization is the Judson Center. The Judson Center offers a myriad of programs, one in particular is the Autism Connections program. Established in 2005, this program has been providing therapeutic, behavioral and support service that improve the quality of life for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. All parents wonder what their children will grow up to be. For families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), visions of the future are tinged with worry. Adults are expected to be self- sufficient, but for most individuals with ASD, the demands of grown-up daily life – such as managing time and money, tending house, holding down a job, interacting with co-workers or people in the community, and caring for themselves – are daunting. Judson Center, with the help of a B.E.S.T. grant, launched the Bridges program in 2018 to help young people with ASD develop the skills they need to be as independent and autonomous as possible. The programming is delivered in an actual house on Judson Center’s Royal Oak campus to emulate real-world residential living. Teens attend Bridges for three to four hours a day, three to five days a week. Fourteen young people (ages 13 to 21) are currently in the program. Through 1:1 coaching, the teens learn how to do basic housework and cleaning, make beds, do laundry, self-groom, handle kitchen appliances, and make simple meals. Their staff breaks down each chore into simple steps that the teens master in sequential order until the task is complete. For example, for laundry, the teens are taught how to sort items into light and dark loads, read clothing care tags, select hot or cold water, measure detergent, start the washer and dryer, fold the laundry, and put clean clothes away. continued on page 6... Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation 2018 Impact Report MMCF | 5 Most adults execute these steps without devoting much thought or effort to them, but teens with ASD must methodically learn and practice each component until they can go through the entire process alone. One young man, Nyles, has excelled in his laundry and bedroom chores and is nearly able to do both without any prompting. Nyles is very schedule oriented, so the goal for him is to incorporate these activities into his daily routine and complete them without assistance. This autonomy will increase his ability to transition into an independent living home in the future. They have already transferred many of the skills he has mastered through Bridges into his home. His mother has a daily schedule for Nyles to follow, and it has increased Nyles’ independence immensely! Many of the teens are learning how to prepare hot and cold foods. One young man, Andy, is not only expanding the range of foods he is willing to eat, but has begun assembling the sandwiches he has every day at Judson Center. He is provided all of the fixings, but he has to put them together and add the condiments. Andy is also learning how to operate the oven. He’s given a package of frozen fries that he must open and spread on a baking sheet. He then must study the directions to see how hot the oven should be and determine how long the fries should cook until they are ready to eat. Andy still requires some prompting from an instructor, but his autonomy has continually improved in the weeks he has been working on these tasks. Once he has mastered them, his mother will be asked to start transferring these activities into their home. Because the Judson Center wants their teens to function independently both in and out of the home, Bridges also teaches “soft skills” like communications, teamwork, time management, answering the phone, making lists, following directions, ignoring distractions, and handling money. “Soft skills” are critical to developing relationships, interacting with the public and colleagues, making purchases, and holding down a job.