Your Voice: Mooseheart kids had a boatload of fun thanks to generosity of Milton Moose

Milton Moose members prepare to leave from Everetts Cove Marina in Lebanon for a boat ride with their guests from Mooseheart. (Courtesy photo)

Have you heard of MooseHeart, the Child City? Many of us recently had the distinct pleasure of hosting the children that live on the Mooseheart Campus in the home which we financially support.

Mooseheart, located in Kane County, Ill., is an unincorporated community and a home for children administered by the Loyal Order of Moose. This is a community totally focused on children and providing children in need with a safe home, loving environment and world class education. Since its inception in 1913, Mooseheart provides a home for youth, whose families are unable to care for them. Some of them have lost one or both parents or their home life is simply not a healthy, safe environment. These children will be taken care of from infancy through high school and many of them go on to college.

The Fraternal Order of the Moose and the Women of the Moose are the sole financial supporters of these "homes" and there are 30 such homes in Mooseheart. Each State or Association has a home that they provide for. We belong to the Northeast Moose Association, which is New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont and we support the New England House which currently has 7 young men and the house teachers Lisa & Philip who have one daughter and one son.

There is also a teaching aid named Deidra who helps to keep everything afloat! We have been holding fundraisers and selling raffle tickets for 2 years to raise enough money to have the New England House family come out for a visit to the East Coast!!

We had an entourage greet them at Manchester-Boston Airport and they went to the Dover Moose Lodge for Dinner- The next morning they arrived at the Milton Town Beach for a day of fun, food and a relaxing boat ride around the lake, with a stop along the way for Ice Cream at Everett's Cove.

Then that evening they all came down to the Milton Lodge for a BBQ and meet and greet with our members who were so happy to finally meet them! Their next adventure took them to Dover where they enjoyed some history and home town fun. They then traveled to Old Orchard Beach to spend time with the Portsmouth & Portland Lodge and Chapters, followed by a lobster bake at the Portland Lodge. Their next visits took them to District 1 and District 2 through Vermont and western New Hampshire, then back to the airport.

So, the Moose is not just a bar, it is an organization with the purpose to provide for these young children. We also support our elderly members at MooseHaven, a retirement community in Florida.

Check out the organization at www.mooseintl.org

Kelly Barca is the recorder for Women of the Moose Chapter 2336 of Milton.