DOES IT SEEM LIKE SOME PEOPLE HAVE MORE HOURS IN EACH DAY THAN YOU DO? DO OTHERS SEEM TO ACCOMPLISH MORE IN A DAY, A WEEK, OR A MONTH THAN YOU EVER COULD? RW PAUL DOUGLAS (DOUG) YORK IS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
SINCE BEING RAISED IN WESTERN BRANCH 189 ON MARCH 30, 1998, RW DOUG HAS SERVED AS MASTER OF HIS LODGE 3 TIMES FOR 3 YEARS, DDGM FOR THE 34TH MASONIC DISTRICT FOR 1 YEAR, TILER FOR PORTSMOUTH 100 AND NANSEMOND 77 LODGES FOR A TOTAL OF 11 YEARS, DISTRICT 33 BLOOD COORDINATOR FOR 16 YEARS, TRUSTEE FOR PORTSMOUTH AND WESTERN BRANCH LODGES FOR A TOTAL OF 14 YEARS, AND PROMOTER OF FRATERNAL RELATIONS, AND ASSOCIATE GUARDIAN FOR BETHELS 28 AND 40, IOJD, FOR A TOTAL OF 16 YEARS. BRETHREN, BRO DOUG HAS MANAGED TO FIT 61 YEARS OF SERVICE INTO 28 YEARS OF MASONRY.
WHILE YOU MIGHT THINK THAT THIS MASONIC RESUME WOULD COMPLETELY FILL ALL OF HIS TIME – IT DOESN’T. BETWEEN 1988 2001, DOUG SUPPORTED FIRST FRIENDS CHURCH OF PORTSMOUTH BY VOLUNTEERING FOR EIGHT MISSION TRIPS TO SANDSIDE, PORT MARIA, JAMAICA. ALONG WITH BRINGING CHRISTIANITY TO AN AREA LARGELY UNFAMILIAR WITH CHRISTIAN BELIEFS, THE MISSIONS WERE TO PROVIDE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND DENTAL AID TO THE THOSE WHO COULD NEVER AFFORD IT OTHERWISE.
ASIDE FROM HIS 5 YEAR OLD GRANDAUGHTER, SERENA, THE JOY OF HIS LIFE, THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF WHICH BRO DOUG IS MOST PROUD IS THE WORK HE PROVIDES FOR LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES. BEGINNING WITH LIGHTHOUSE MINISTRIES IN 2013,DOUG WORKS TO PROVIDE BREAD, ROLLS, CANNED GOODS, FROZEN FOOD, FRESH FRUIT, MILK, EGGS, JUICE, SNACKS, GROCERY STORE FOOD BOXES, AND VARIOUS CONSUMABLES TO FAMILIES ACROSS HAMPTON ROADS THROUGH 14 DIFFERENT FOOD PANTRIES, AND 1 SCHOOL, ALL OF WHICH ARE SUPPORTED BY LOCAL CHURCHES AND MISSIONS.
THREE TO FOUR TIMES A WEEK, BRO DOUG’S DAY BEGINS ABOUT 6AM WITH BREAD PICKUP AT THE PEPPERIDGE FARMS DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN CHESAPEAKE. FROM THERE, WITH THE HELP OF BRO JAY WRIGHT, CHURCHLAND 276, AND MS LYNNE STITT, A MEMBER OF CROSSROADS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, HE DELIVERS THE BREAD AND ROLLS FROM PEPPERIDGE FARMS AND OVERSTOCKED GROCERIES FROM FOOD LION, HARRIS TEETER, AND TARGET TO THE VARIOUS PANTRIES. W LESTER TYSOR, PM GREAT BRIDGE 257, AND W MARIO MONTEIRO, WM OF GREAT BRIDGE 257, MEET BRO DOUG EVERY THURSDAY MORNING AT 6:30AM TO PICK UP BREAD AND ROLLS FOR THE GREAT BRIDGE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH PANTRY. EVERY 3RD FRIDAY, W MARION NEIGHBORS, PM PURDIE 170, PICKS UP BREAD FOR THE TUCKER SWAMP BAPTIST CHURCH PANTRY IN ZUNI.
WORKING 6 DAYS PER WEEK, AND LOGGING ABOUT 10,000 MILES ANNUALLY, DOUG IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERING APPROXIMATELY 21,200 LOAVES OF BREAD TO LOCAL PANTRIES EVERY YEAR. IN ADDITION TO BREAD, THOSE PANTRIES DISTRIBUTE APPROXIMATELY 500 BAGS OF GROCERIES PER WEEK. TWO DAYS PER WEEK DOUG VOLUNTEERS TO PACKAGE FOOD AND DISTRIBUTE BAGS OF GROCERIES AT CAMPUS PANTRY AT RESCUE MISSION AND CROSSROADS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. ANOTHER OF THE CHARITIES, OASIS SOCIAL MISSION, OPERATES A MOBILE PANTRY WHERE 75 LOAVES OF BREAD ARE USED TO MAKE 250 SANDWICHES FOR BAG LUNCHES EVERY WEEK AND ARE THEN DELIVERED TO HOMELESS CAMPS THROUGHOUT THE AREA. ANOTHER CHARITY, RESCUE CHURCH, DELIVERS GROCERIES TOSEVERAL SENIOR LIVING UNITS WHERE DOUG AND OTHER CHURCH VOLUNTEERS VISIT AND OFTEN PRAY WITH THE RESIDENTS.
MY CONVERSATION WITH BRO DOUG WAS FILLED WITH JOKES, PUNS, BIBLE SCRIPTURES, AND GENUINE, TRULY GENUINE HUMILITY. WHEN ASKED WHY HE DOES WHAT HE DOES, HE ANSWERED, “I SEE THE NEED AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE THE LORD WANTS ME TO BE.”
BRO DOUG, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO FREEMASONRY AND FOR SETTING AN EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF US TO FOLLOW.
