Jno G. Lewis Lodge #622 distributes Thanksgiving baskets

By BRITTANY FHOLER 

Cove Leader-Press 

Members of the Jno G. Lewis Lodge #622 of Copperas Cove distributed 29 Thanksgiving baskets Tuesday morning to individuals and families in need. 

Each basket featured a whole turkey, a box of macaroni and cheese, peas, corn, a box of stuffing, sweet potatoes/yams, mashed potatoes and canned fruit.

Members of the lodge filled the small white laundry baskets with the food before setting off to Brookview Village Senior Apartments to distribute the first 15 baskets. 

One of the Brookview Village residents who goes by Tootsie helped provide the lodge members with the names and addresses of several residents in need of a Thanksgiving basket. 

“It’s really wonderful, and I tried to make sure I picked the ones who I know are struggling, or whatever,” Tootsie said. 

The Jno G. Lewis Lodge #622 has distributed Thanksgiving baskets to members of the community since 2003, according to Worshipful Master Donald Buckram Sr. 

“This year, Thanksgiving is one of the main things we wanted to do because of the pandemic and all the people that normally are able to do things this year are not able, so we feel very blessed that we were able to do something this year for the pandemic,” Buckram said. 

Buckram said he was glad that the lodge stepped up for its community. The food distributed in each basket Tuesday morning came from the food bank in Killeen, after the lodge donated $500 to the food bank. The names on the list were chosen by members of the lodge, who reached out and got each person’s contact information. 

The lodge will also be giving away a full meal in a basket before Christmastime, featuring a ham instead of a turkey. Earlier this year, the lodge also donated backpacks to CCISD and provided a scholarship to a CCHS student. 

Helping the community is a major part of the Lodge’s existence, according to Buckram. 

“Our foundation was built off of service and support and taking care of the needy in the community that you are in, and this is one of the things that we feel as though we’re obligated to do, to do charity work, scholarships,” Buckram said.  “In this community, it’s very real to do charity because if you don’t, why be here?”