This year, Flora said, the organization’s top leader in Ohio asked several chapters to create special projects each month. Chapters statewide would then assist with the project in their areas as well.
Locally, she said, one of those projects was created in Urbana, where Pam Moore helped develop a program to assist mothers of children with pediatric cancer.
Moore said her daughter-in-law suggested the idea around Mother’s Day. Moore is friends with a family whose child has pediatric cancer.
The idea, she said, was to provide gift baskets to mothers who spend long hours in the hospital with their children. In May, collections were taken up at Eastern Star chapters across the state to help donate to the cause. Locally, Moore said, about 30 gift baskets were donated to mothers at Dayton Children’s Hospital. The baskets contained mostly simple items that included hand cream, parking passes, and notebooks.
“They were really appreciative,” Moore said of the families.
Flora also helped create a project at her Christiansburg chapter.
Her project involved chapters across the state clipping coupons that were eventually donated to military families across the country and overseas to help with grocery expenses. She said local chapters also participated in programs created in other areas of the state. In all, about $700,000 worth of coupons were distributed.
Flora said this is the first time the Eastern Star has combined to work on the year-long charity projects, and it’s unclear whether it will continue next year.
“This is something in addition to our standard charities,” she said.
However, she said the idea has been successful so far, and she hopes it can continue in the future.
“We succeeded in what we set out to do,” she said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.
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