Many Grand Lodges have charities that few hear of; here's one we found particularly intriguing. Vermont has decided that Masons should make a difference and they have committed to identifying Children with Broken Hearts in their schools which they do through their Comprehensive Assessment Recovery Effort - C.A.R.E.

C.A.R.E. is a school based substance abuse intervention program whose goal is to identify adolescents whose behavior, attendance or grades indicates that they have problems related to substance abuse. C.A.R.E.'s process is to ensure that these "At-Risk" adolescents are directed to appropriate services in the community. The services will provide the necessary assistance. 

The core team of C.A.R.E. is comprised of an Administrator, Teacher, School Nurse and a guidance counselor. Other support people include School Psychologist, Pupil Personnel Worker and an Adolescent Addiction Counselor of a Community Mental Health Center. The Vermont State Department of Education, Vermont Agency of Human Services and the Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs administers C.A.R.E. while Masonic Charities of Vermont, Inc., a fund of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Vermont provides the funding for educational seminars which are three days in length and payment of all expenses is from the Grand Lodge.

The members of Vermont's Grand Lodge saw the need in the schools of Vermont for some time. Through coordination with the proper agencies of the State, the C.A.R.E. program was put in place. There is a cost factor to operating a program of this magnitude. However - as they're clear to state - Masonry does not place a given value on a child's life and therefore the cost is justified.

We commend the Grand Lodge of Vermont for their unique and important undertaking. If you're interested in more information about this project, you can reach the Grand Lodge of Vermont, F&AM at RR#3, Box 6742B, Barre, VT 05641 or via their web page at http://www.vtfreemasons.org/care.htm