Lodges in the Seventh Masonic District donated more than $5,700 worth of shoes, more than 300 pairs, for Veterans in need and presented them Saturday, April 7, 2018 at the Chillicothe Campus of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Building #9. Veterans' Administration Hospital personnel that were on hand were Gerardo Navarro, Director of Volunteer Services and Jamie Russell Volunteer Services Assistant. The Seventh Masonic District includes Ross, Pike, Highland, Scioto and Brown Counties.
William Bennett, Seventh Masonic District Veterans' Administration Hospital Representative is leading this campaign with the valuable assistance of Right Worshipful Brother R. Joseph Shilling, District Advisor. “The veterans being served by the Chillicothe VA Hospital are very much on the minds of the Masonic Brethren of the Seventh District, many of whom are themselves veterans,” said Bennett.
“This effort got underway when Ms. Jamie Russell Staff of Volunteer Services at the VA related the urgent need of veterans coming in looking for shoes,” he said. “One veteran was wearing shoes that were being held together with duct tape. That’s when members of our district Lodges decided to do something to help those who served but may need help now.”
The district also sponsors Sunday bingo games at the Chillicothe VA hospital four times a year and holds an annual picnic there in September. Other state Masonic officers attended the presentation.
