Blue Slipper Stories
Widows’ Guild Newsletter ̵ February 2021
John became unable to work, and the couple had been waiting for months for John to start receiving disability payments. “We still had a house payment and two car payments,” Peggy said. “They [his Masonic brothers] came in and told me to show them all my bills.” For six months, John’s brothers sent the Childs a check each month. Finances became one less stress for John and Peggy, who quit her job to become a full-time caregiver.
FINDING A KINDRED SPIRIT Peggy Childs and her late husband, John, took their son to visit Cedar Point Amusement Park one summer. While waiting for their turn on the Ferris wheel, John started speaking to the man standing next to them in line. “I don’t know what they did or how they knew they were both Masons, but they just knew,” Peggy recalled. The man and his wife were from Canada and later offered to take John, Peggy and their son out for lunch. “The Masons are a good, tight-knit organization,” Peggy said. She knew this standing in line for a Ferris wheel, and she knew it many years later when her husband received a life-altering diagnosis of esophageal cancer at age 45. John was a member of Lodge No. 517, Sharpsville, a 32° Mason and a member of the Scottish Rite. “When he was diagnosed, his brothers came and helped us out,” Peggy said.
“It was all devastating,” Peggy recalled. John’s diagnosis meant driving from their home in Mercer County to Pittsburgh for surgeries and doctors’ appointments. It meant three separate rounds of chemotherapy. Toward the end of his six-year battle, it also meant honoring John’s one last wish. “He wanted to die at home,” Peggy said. “We brought in hospice and made it happen. They said he’d have a 5 - 10% chance of living for a year, and he lived for six. Doctors said whatever we were doing, we were doing it right.” John met his goal of seeing his son graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy with honors before he died. Peggy believes her husband lived longer than expected because he was surrounded by his friends, family and things he loved until the end of his life, including his fraternal brothers. “He had a lot of comradery from his involvement [in Freemasonry],” Peggy said. “He went to lodge every Wednesday night. He played cards, got involved in the community, did food drives and ate with [his brothers]. They lifted a burden from us. I can tell you I’m one of the Masons’ biggest promoters.”
Peggy has found love once again since John’s death 16 years ago. She and her significant other, Robert, are now raising his 5-year-old grandson, who they took in when he was 18 months old. “He’s very energetic,” Peggy said. “When we got this Iittle one, our whole lives changed. At our age, it’s hard on us. Nowadays, it costs quite a bit to raise a child.” After John’s death, Peggy continued to receive “The Pennsylvania Freemason” magazine. In one issue, she discovered all the services available to widows of Pennsylvania Freemasons. “There was a whole list of things the Masons could help me with if I needed it,” Peggy said, “so I made the call.” The Masonic Outreach Program has found Peggy an attorney at no cost. In addition, the program has helped her with expenses to upkeep her home, as well as sent her grocery gift cards each month for six months. “It has helped me out immensely,” Peggy said. “I’ve sent ‘thank yous,’ but I can’t say ‘thank you’ enough. They don’t realize how much they’ve done to impact my life.” To this day, Peggy struggles to look through old photos of her husband. “Sometimes, it’s too painful,” Peggy said. “It brings back memories.” Peggy believes there are many Masonic widows who understand what she’s been through. “You find a kindred spirit in each other,” Peggy said. “You empathize with them. People say they know what you’re going through, and until you go through it, you don’t really know.” Her goal is to coordinate a group of Masonic widows near her home in Mercer County using the Widows’ Guild directory. It’s her hope they can get together for phone calls, and eventually, in-person events. Peggy enjoys giving back in her “own round-about way” for the help she’s received through volunteerism in her community and with the local school district. “I would tell any Masonic widow to reach out and share their story and get help if they need it,” Peggy
said. “It’s good to know you have someone you can call on when you’re in need.”
GREETINGS FROM LINDA JACKSON Relations Administrator Happy New Year! I hope you have managed to stay safe and well and had a wonderful holiday season. I must admit, I’m not sorry to say goodbye to 2020, and I look forward to returning to normal sometime in 2021. This past year has certainly been a challenge for us all, but we will be stronger as a result of getting through it together. Speaking of being stronger, our Masonic Widows’ Guild has continued to grow and now has over 1,300 members. The restrictions put in place as a result of Covid-19 meant we could not honor our widows in person, so I therefore pivoted to reaching out by phone and email. I had the privilege to connect with so many of you and had wonderful conversations learning about your respective lives and families and how you were coping with this “new normal”. I encouraged widows to connect with one another, and many of you requested and received a copy of the Widows’ Guild directory. I would love to hear from you if you reached out to another member of the Guild! Some of our widows experienced financial hardship this past year and were supported through the Masonic Outreach Program. In 2020, this program provided $59,100 in Home Assistance to 28 widows to help with expenses related to home repair, medical care and medicine, utility bills and other expenses. Some women received grocery gift cards, which was just enough to bridge the gap in meeting their household budgets. If you are a widow in need, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I can assist and guide you through the process.
I continue to remain optimistic and look forward to good things in this new year. Even though we had to face new challenges, please take comfort in knowing that you are a member of a wonderful group of women who share a very special bond. I encourage you to reach out to each other, and if you do not have a copy of the Widows’ Guild Directory, please let me know. Stay well and stay safe.
I WANT MY QCD!
By Brother Alvin H. Blitz, Esq.
Chief Gift Planning Officer, Masonic Villages If you are over 70½, own a traditional IRA (or one you inherited from your husband) and like to help your favorite charities (which hopefully includes the Masonic Charities), then 2021 is the time to plan for your next IRA Charitable Rollover, otherwise known as a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). The most common technique for using a QCD is giving your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from your IRA to charity. Why? You need to take your RMD into income each year, and even if you don’t
need the money, you still have to pay taxes on this income. But, if you give the RMD to charity as a QCD, the RMD is not taxed, and you reduce your income and pay less taxes. You can also potentially avoid a higher tax bracket and possibly limit the amount of taxes you pay on Social Security Income. Of course, you lose the money, and you do not get an income tax deduction for your charitable gift, but you get the satisfaction of supporting your favorite charity and reducing your taxes. For those who don’t itemize their taxes, the QCD is the best way to make a gift, since the QCD has the benefit of avoiding taxes and reducing their taxable income, while a cash gift for a person who does not itemize doesn’t result in a charitable deduction from their income. So remember, if you are over 70½ with a traditional IRA, you should be saying, “I want my QCD!” If you have never done a QCD, go to our new planned giving website at www.masoniccharitieslegacy.org for more information online, or call our office at 800-599-6454 and ask for our QCD Kit. You won’t be disappointed.
Leave a Legacy - Please consider including Masonic Charities in your Will or Estate Plan.
As a Masonic widow, you’re automatically a member of the Masonic Blood+Organ Donor Program. Our program helps Masonic organizations host blood drives across Pennsylvania and provides education on blood and organ donation. The services we provide are only possible because of generous donors. Benefits of Your Membership • If you receive a blood transfusion, you can be reimbursed for expenses not covered by insurance. • Should you or a family member need a life-saving organ, our program will offer support and education as you navigate the organ transplant process. Being a member of our program doesn’t make you an organ donor. Register at www.donatelifepa.org. To learn more, visit MasonicBloodandOrganDonors.org or call 215-988-1958.
Masonic Widows Guild Program 12 Village Green Drive Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Blue Slipper Stories
Widows’ Guild Newsletter ̵ February 2021
Contact Us
If you or someone you know is interested in the services offered by the Masonic Outreach Program:
Masonic Outreach Program One Masonic Drive Elizabethtown, PA 17022 1-800-462-7664 outreach@masonicvillages.org www.masonicvillages.org/outreach If you want to be removed from our mailing list, please contact us and let us know.
In This Issue...
FINDING A KINDRED SPIRIT GREETINGS FROM LINDA JACKSON I WANT MY QCD! The Pennsylvania Masonic Widows’ Guild is in place to recognize, honor and support the widows of Pennsylvania Masons. If you have questions about the Widows’ Guild or would like to become a member and receive your blue slipper pin, please call Relations Administrator Linda Jackson at 1-800-599-6454.