The Valley Stream Lodge No. 1143 of the Freemasons donated 37 boxes of diapers to the Faith Mission Food Pantry, following a community diaper drive organized by lodge member Michael Albert.
The donation effort grew out of the lodge’s volunteer work at the Mineola pantry during Thanksgiving, when members helped distribute meals and necessities to families in need.
“I noticed there were a lot of mothers asking for diapers for their children,” Albert said. “They only had a limited supply there at the time; that’s how the idea came about.”
Albert, recently elected as junior warden of the lodge, said the experience prompted him to propose a diaper drive to fellow members. According to Albert, the lodge quickly rallied behind the effort and helped organize the collection.
Members created a flyer and set up an online donation page with a QR code to collect contributions. Rather than gathering physical diaper donations, lodge members pooled monetary donations and used the funds to purchase diapers in bulk before the May 15 delivery.
The diapers were delivered ahead of the pantry’s regular Saturday distribution hours when families visit the site for food and other necessities.
The goal was to provide the pantry with a larger, more varied supply than had previously been available. While lodge members did not know how many families would receive the diapers, the donation was intended to help replenish the pantry’s stock for future distributions.
Thomas Sullivan, the master of Lodge No. 1143, said the drive reflects one of Freemasonry’s central principles: charity. He encouraged members to bring forward project ideas that could directly benefit the community and demonstrate the organization’s mission through service.
“It’s people helping other people,” Sullivan said. “We look at people as part of our human family that we love, and we’re here to help.”
Sullivan said the organization hopes that community members who see the lodge’s charitable efforts may become interested in supporting future drives or learning more about Freemasonry.
Founded as a fraternal organization centered on fellowship and charitable work, the lodge regularly participates in service projects throughout the year. Albert and Sullivan both said members are involved in food pantry volunteering, coat drives and other donation efforts aimed at helping the community.
The lodge’s annual coat drive expanded steadily over the past four years, according to Sullivan. During the most recent drive, members collected dozens of large bags filled with winter coats for donation to St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in Rockville Centre in coordination with Love Beyond Limits.
He also described additional charitable projects undertaken by lodge members, including sock donations for organizations serving vulnerable populations and food distribution efforts during Thanksgiving.
Both men said the organization’s charitable work is strengthened by the lodge’s collaborative nature. Members come from a variety of backgrounds but work together through a shared commitment to service.
“We all meet, as we say, on the level,” Sullivan said. “It doesn’t matter what religion you are, what position you are in, whether you’re the CEO of a company, if you’re in law enforcement, if you’re someone who works at a school as a janitor, everybody is on the level we all consider ourselves to be; we’re all brothers.”
Albert, who joined the Freemasons about a decade ago after growing up around family members involved in the organization, said he was drawn to the sense of brotherhood and community involvement. Sullivan, also a member of about 10 years, said his interest in Freemasonry stemmed from both its history and its emphasis on personal connection and charity.
Although neither Albert nor Sullivan lives in Valley Stream — Albert lives in Freeport and Sullivan in Massapequa — both said they remain committed to strengthening the lodge’s visibility and involvement within the Valley Stream community.
The success of the diaper drive has also made it possible to become a recurring effort. Albert said the lodge frequently develops new charitable projects based on ideas brought forward by members, while Sullivan described the diaper drive as a natural addition to the organization’s existing seasonal outreach programs.
For both men, the most meaningful aspect of the project was the opportunity to assist families facing financial hardship.
Albert said that helping people in need and giving back to the community remain among the most rewarding parts of the organization’s work. Sullivan added that personally delivering donations and seeing the people being helped gives members a direct connection to the impact of their efforts.
