Members of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Lakes Region Chapter 4352 in Windham, are committed to serving the community and two generous gifts are evidence of that.
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| Collette Gagnon of the Windham Food Pantry, left, and Ben Quarles of the Standish Food Pantry, right, were each presented checks for $4,866 by Phil Thomas, State President of thee Maine Fraternal Order of Eagles during an event at the Windham Social Services Office on Aug. 10. The checks were donations to the food pantries by F.O.E. Lakes Region Chapter 4352 in Windham. PHOTO BY LAUNNIE SIMPSON |
The checks were given to the food pantries by Launnie Simpson, Lake Region Eagles 4352 Windham president, and Maine Fraternal Order of Eagles President Phil Thomas, from their special fundraising account.
She said Eagles members were able to raise $9,732 through a variety of events earlier this year.
“We did monthly full meal deals, kind of like bingo and we did potluck dinners,” Simpson said. “We made complete meals for Game Nights and Ladies Nights. So basically, our members donated through one of the many events.”
The Fraternal Order of Eagles is an international non-profit organization uniting fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice, and equality, to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills and promoting peace, prosperity, and hope. Each year nationwide, the F.O.E. donates more than $10 million to local communities, fundraisers, charities and more.
As part of its philosophy, the F.O.E. gives back 100 percent of monies raised in the form of grants. Fundraisers are conducted for eight major charities, including kidney, heart, diabetes, cancer and spinal cord injury funds, a children’s fund, memorial foundation and the Golden Eagle Fund.
The Eagles were founded in February 1898 by six theatre owners gathered in a Seattle shipyard to discuss a musician’s strike. After addressing the matter, they agreed to “bury the hatchet” and form “The Order of Good Things.” As membership numbers grew, participants selected the Bald Eagle as the official emblem and changed the name to “The Fraternal Order of Eagles.”
The F.O.E.’s women’s auxiliary can trace its roots to 1927. Nowadays the Fraternal Order of Eagles includes nearly 800,000 members and more than 1,500 sites across the United States and Canada, including Windham, with a location at 756 Roosevelt Trail.
Meetings for the non-profit organization are conducted at 7 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. The Lakes Region Chapter 4352 was founded 12 years ago and currently has 255 members.
Collette Gagnon, Windham Social Service Administrative Assistant, said that the donation will help more than 300 families in the community, and that the food pantry is grateful for the donation by the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Lakes Region Chapter 4352.
The Windham Food Pantry is open to Windham residents with proof of residency and residents are provided with food on a monthly basis.
Residents in need of food assistance are asked to call to schedule an appointment to visit the Windham Food Pantry. Food and non-food donations are accepted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and monetary donations are accepted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the Windham Town Manager's Office at Windham Town Hall or by mail at 8 School Road, Windham.
“The Windham Food Pantry is always looking for Windham residents who would like to become members to benefit from the food pantry,” Gagnon said. “We are also looking for donations both monetary and food and clothing items.”
Windham’s Food Pantry is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the Windham Social Services Office, 377 Gray Road in Windham.
Windham Social Services also operates a Clothes Closet for those in need from 10 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday. Residents are asked to call 207-892=1931 to check if it is open ahead of their visit. <
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