When Freemason Howard Prankratz passed away on Feb. 18, he left his estate to his lodge of 37 years, the Oriental Masonic Lodge No. 20 in Mesa. On Sept. 9, the lodge will present a $100,000 check to La Mesa Ministries to close on a property for Eden Village of Arizona, which will provide permanent housing for the disabled and disadvantaged in Mesa.
“This gift will make Howard’s dream of making a difference in the lives of others possible,” Rick McClellan, executive director of La Mesa Ministries, said in a release.
A faith-based organization, La Mesa Ministries offers free weekly meals to homeless individuals and provides support such as employment counseling and social service needs.
Although Prankratz was never technically homeless himself, McClellan says he was forced to live in a shed when his home became uninhabitable. La Mesa Ministries helped remove pests from the home, replace a collapsed sewer line and clean his home so he could move back in.
Oriental Masonic Lodge No. 20 Senior Warden Marc Geyer said the lodge chose to gift $100,000 to La Mesa Ministries for Eden Village because the organization had made such a difference in Prankratz’s life.