OSDIA NATION
OSDIA LODGES AT WORK
NEW YORK The Cellini Lodge #2206 in New Hyde Park kicked into overdrive when COVID-19 hit. With 383 members, the third largest lodge in New York went to work in support of healthcare workers in their area. In the beginning of May, they sent food to four local hospitals in a four-day span, delivering lunch to NYU Winthrop Hospital and St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center and delivering dinner to North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. The staffs from all four hospitals were so thankful that they returned the lodge’s generosity with several letters of appreciation. The lodge has also continued to hold its monthly general meetings and officers’ meetings via Zoom. During the officers’ meeting at the end of May, they received information about the local food pantries who were in need of food. Once again, the lodge went into overdrive, sending out an email blast and requesting that members drop off food at their lodge office on June 2. In just two hours, lodge members had donated enough food to fill three local food pantries. The lodge delivered the food to the Notre Dame Church and Church of
Cellini lodge members with NYU Winthrop Hospital staff. SUMMER 2020
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Cellini lodge members delivering food to Long Island Jewish Medical Center.
CONNECTICUT In response to COVID-19 relief efforts, the Amerigo Vespucci Lodge #160 in Danbury presented a $1,000 check to Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton to supply those in need of essential groceries. The mayor accepted the check on behalf of the Hillside Food Outreach, which delivers these groceries to families who are not able to access local pantries.
the Holy Spirit in New Hyde Park. They also contacted St. Brigid’s Catholic Church in Westbury, who came to the lodge’s office to pick up donated food. “I am so proud of our lodge,” said Lodge President Anthony Calabro. “Whenever I ask the members to step up, they do it.
Cellini lodge members with Long Island Jewish Medical Center staff. Not to be outdone, the lodge’s scholarship committee also held Zoom meetings in May to make sure they awarded the lodge’s annual scholarships in spite of the pandemic. After the meetings, the lodge presented scholarships to three members’ children and two members’ grandchildren, all of whom were graduating high school. The lodge also presented one graduate scholarship. In addition to this, the lodge granted scholarships to seven neighboring high schools. This year, a total of $15,000 in scholarships were given out by the Cellini Lodge.
Lodge President Bruno Tropeano (right) presents Mayor Mark Boughton with the donation from the Amerigo Vespucci Lodge #160.
Have you or your lodge done something remarkable that makes a difference to your community or promotes our heritage and Italian studies? If so, send details including your lodge’s name/ number, a brief write-up, and digital photos of 300 dpi to Editor Miles Fisher at mfisher@osia.org
ITALIAN AMERICA
