Serve Your Community!
Who We Are
What We Do
Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Over 7.4 million people over age 65 are living with Alzheimer's. Care costs are projected to reach over $400 billion. In addition, around 13 million people are unpaid caregivers to Alzheimer's patients, over 60% reporting high emotional stress. Women are twice as likely as mean to develop Alzheimer's. For these reasons, raising money for the Alzheimer's Association in Minnesota is a focus charity this year. There will be an Oktoberfest fundraiser in October.
Service Dogs for Veterans
Supporting the training and placement of service dogs is an international focus of Order of the Eastern Star. in Minnesota, our partner in supporting this cause is Helping Paws, an ADI accredited service dog organization. Our contributions to Helping Paws are designated to fund training and placement of service dogs for Veterans.
Scholarships
Many of our members, their families and friends have benefited from our scholarships, and we will continue to support these programs
ESTARL – Eastern Star Training Award for Religious Leadership - scholarship granting program for men and women preparing for careers in religious leadership in any denomination
Pat Rasmusson Continuing Education - Help applicants continue their education through technical-vocational training, the liberal arts, or preparation for professional specializations
M. Josephine Ruhsam - M. Josephine Ruhsam was the Right Worthy Associate Grand Matron when she passed away in 1983. Money set aside for her term as Most Worthy Grand Matron, donations, and memorials were put together to form a scholarship in her memory
Educational Loan Program - Did you know that Grand Chapter has an interest free educational loan that is available to our Eastern Star members and their families? In addition, the Minnesota Masonic Charities Scholarships Program is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the state.
Masonic Cancer Center
Minnesota Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, has a long standing partnership, funding research at the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota. We are proud to support cutting-edge research into this disease that causes so much physical and emotional pain to patients and their families.
The current OES Scholar is Dr. Erin Marcotte. Dr. Marcotte's research involves childhood cancers, specifically childhood leukemia and a liver cancer called hepatoblastoma. Her work in leukemia is exceptional. She is looking at ways of identifying children who have a high likelihood of developing ALL. (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia)
Click Here to Read More
Minnesota Masonic Home
The Order of the Eastern Star is about people. Our members invest their time in serving in many ways. One of those ways is our assistance at the Minnesota Masonic Home in Bloomington, MN
Regularly, our members visit the Masonic Home, write to pen pals there, serve a monthly birthday party. Thousands of hours each year of volunteer time is enjoyed by the staff and residents, and we are pleased to serve in such a manner.
Occasionally, there are special projects that Eastern Star gets behind. The OES Chapel at the Masonic Home was built with significant support from our Minnesota Grand Chapter. in 2020, as part of the renovation of the Chapel, our Grand Chapter is underwriting the cost of the Rose Window placed behind the altar.
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Local Service Projects
Do you have an idea? Join us, and make it reality!
Sewing Units
Do you like to sew? Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth have Sewing Units that help in a variety of ways, while enjoying social time each month.
They will make blankets for children at the Masonic Children's Hospital, and any other place they are requested. They make lap robes for the Cancer Center and Masonic Home.
Recently the St. Paul Sewing Unit teamed up with a 6th grade class, providing cut fleece that the class tied into blankets to donate as a service project.
Click here to read more about the class project!