Stories

After moving to Masonic Village, this new donor was impressed with the Masonic Children’s Home and everything it offers to kids in need. One of Robbie Hoffman’s favorite parables starts with an old man walking a shore littered with thousands of beached starfish after a storm. The old man sees a young man picking up [...]

These brothers were able to stay together, grow together and turn their lives around together at the Masonic Children’s Home. Brothers Jacob and Jesse Goranson have always been together – through the best and worst of times. “Our lives before the children’s home were very uncertain,” Jesse says. Born in Santa Clarita, California (a suburb [...]

As he prepares to graduate from the children’s home, Nestor realizes he was given a second chance at life. Inside the Weller Cottage, which is active with young men running to and fro, there is a wall dedicated to graduates. Each senior photo is strategically placed in a row and proudly stamped with a name [...]

Kids in need and professional educators are being given the opportunity to succeed in the newly renovated Resource Center! A full and proper education is what children require to reach their fullest potential in life, yet many children in need do not get a quality education where they can learn, develop and challenge their capabilities. [...]

Greg Moore was given hope at the Masonic Children's Home. Greg’s early years are full of memories he wishes he didn’t have. Growing up in northeast Philadelphia with four siblings, he was 6 years old when his mother left. His unstable father was responsible for raising the family, and his home environment immediately became harsh. [...]

A long-time donor donates a portion of her IRA to children in need. Just like Cinderella has a fairy godmother who appears in difficult times to lend a hand, the kids of the Masonic Children’s Home have Joyce Umbaugh, a woman who holds a special place in her heart for children in need. Her kind [...]

After 36 years, educator Donna Shaffer knows the recipe for encouraging a child’s success. What does it mean to be successful? Donna Shaffer, educational coordinator for the children’s home, defines success as “finding a meaningful job to support yourself and your family.” Her goal is for all children’s home graduates to achieve this while “always [...]

Donors have given this young lady the chance to practice what she loves. With donor support, the children’s home changes the lives of many youth, giving them the strength they need to continue their passions and develop new ones. When Aba moved to the children’s home at age 9 from Philadelphia, she had a much [...]

Donors were there for her husband in 1917 when he was just a boy. One small boy was fortunate to attend the children’s home in 1917, soon after its construction. During his childhood, the boy experienced an accident which resulted in an infected leg. He required treatment at the Masonic Health Care Center on the [...]