More than 200 needy people received warm meals, at no cost, on Thanksgiving Day, as the Brooklyn District Grand Lodge #1 continued its mission of providing for the less fortunate in the community.
“I feel very gratified with this Thanksgiving event of 2016,” David Williams, the Lodge’s Grenadian-born grand master, told Caribbean Life in an interview.
“Many thanks to the committee chair, my District Deputy Grand Master, Hon. Daniel Roden, and the rest of the committee members for the many meals delivered on or before 2 pm and for feeding about 200-plus people between the hours of 10 am to 3 pm,” added Williams about the event that took place at the Lodge’s headquarters near the corner of Classon and Putnam avenues in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
Williams, who was elected in July as grand master, also lauded the “tremendous support” of members of the Executive Committee of the Grand Council of the Independent United Order of Mechanics Friendly Society, Western Hemisphere, Inc., under whose jurisdiction the Brooklyn District Grand Lodge #1 falls. He said there are about 200 active members in his lodge in 13 “functioning units.”
Williams was praised the support of grand masters and members of the Alpha, Composite, Ben Hur and King Solomon districts.
He said the Thanksgiving meal and clothing distribution actually began in 1988 under Grand Master Litteran’s administration.
He said part of the lodge’s goal is to reach out to the less fortunate in the community, and to sick and shut-in members, adding that meals are picked up or delivered.
Williams said donations are made by lodge members, as well as by family, friends and co-workers.
The Brooklyn District Grand Lodge #1 also distributed certificates of appreciation to several young people, who helped in serving meals and distributing clothes on Thanksgiving Day.
They included: Giana Gerardino; Esther Elias; Tasha, Alicia and Glen Crichlow; Kimberly Palayuachi-Lopez; Romeo Sanchez; Sharif Byer; and Heaven-Lee and Keigh-Lee Searles.
