Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Safford Masonic Lodge #16 members present a $1,500 check to the Mt. Graham Safe House on Friday. Pictured are, from left, Jared Wallace, Lodge Senior Warden; Tom Sanders, Lodge Master; Dorsha Frye, Mt. Graham Safe House Mobile Advocate; Richard Fisher, Lodge Secretary; and Matt Allen, Lodge Junior Warden.
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – It was all smiles on Friday as the Safford Territorial Masonic Lodge 16 Freemasons of Arizona donated $1,500 to the general operation of the Mt. Graham Safe House.
There are 65 active lodges in Arizona with more than 5,000 Masons, according to the Grand Lodge of Arizona, which
Safford Lodge #16 Master Tom Sanders was on hand for the check presentation and summarized his chapter’s local goals.
“We’re like-minded individuals that want to do as much as we can to improve our corner of the world and so this is how we do it,” Sanders said. “We have a clothe-a-child program that we do every year and raise money for kids around Christmastime for clothing and that kind of thing. The Safe House obviously does a lot to protect women and children and families and so we want to do what we can to support that.”
The Mt. Graham Safe House assists victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The program provides a variety of support, including emergency short-term housing, advocacy services, and more.
The Mt. Graham Safe House is expanding in Greenlee County and will be putting in a new shelter there. According to Mt. Graham Safe House Mobile Advocate Dorsha Frye, the property is being readied and they are just waiting on delivery of the modular home.
“We’re really excited about that,” Frye said.