In the flush of Spring, a charitable service by Freemasons volunteers offering free gardening and maintenance has been launched in Greater Dandenong.
With a trailer of tools, the Gather My Lodge crew will offer free weeding, lawn mowing and other gardening duties to elderly and unwell households in the Freemason’s South East Mornington district.
It was launched by Freemasons Victoria’s Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master, as well as Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti in Keysborough on 5 October.
The volunteers are following a similar Masonic crew who have helped 300 clients in the Bayside council area over the past six years.
“It started with them helping people they knew who were financially disadvantaged or aged and unable to adequately look after their homes,” Grand Master Peter Henshall said.
“That concept grew, they got referred to a number of people in the community and they petitioned our Freemasons Foundation for a trailer and gardening tools – which we provided.”
Henshall says he hopes Gather My Lodge crews will branch out into all 12 of Freemasons Victoria’s districts.
“If we can get these 12 units, we will have effectively a mobile taskforce to employ in the event of state emergencies.
“We will be able to assist wherever we will be of benefit to the relevant authorities.”
In the past, Masonic volunteers have helped to replace fences destroyed across the state during Black Saturday or overseen car parking at disaster stations.
Freemasons raised more than $1 million for grants to Black Saturday victims, as well as a $40,000, 10-year scholarship program at three affected primary schools.
