Viking Magazine - August 2020 - 34

Member Matters
A Time of Service
Sometimes the worst experiences bring out the best in people. These lodges are proving it by
reaching out to help others in a time of need. BY CHRISTINE JOHNSON
District 2:
Feeding Those in Need
When a church in Petersburg, Alaska,
chose to stop serving free lunch on
Saturdays because of the COVID-19
pandemic, other community members
decided they weren't about to let
people go hungry. A local mental health
organization took charge, and began
the hunt for a location that would be
safe for those receiving the food as
well as for the volunteers preparing
and serving it.
As a long-time member of
Fedrelandet 2-023, Sally Norheim
Dwyer helped facilitate the efforts
through her lodge and the city. She
got to work, and Fedrelandet received
permission from the Borough Incident
Commander to open its park to serve
soup and bread to Petersburg residents
who are marginalized.
" This is coordinated with local
mental health volunteers, Sons of
Norway and our community, "
Norheim Dwyer says. " Our executive
board agreed as long as the rules
prescribed by the local emergency
council were adhered to. "
She says the standards are clear and
easy to follow. " We serve out-of-door,
gloved and masked, and we have a
hand-wash station available. " No one
other than the workers are allowed
into the building, and social spacing is
encouraged and gently enforced.
Approximately 60 free lunches, on
average, are dished out each week,
and all products thus far have been
donated. " Two of us search out
volunteers each week to make the four
to five soups and, if short, we make
them ourselves, " she says. " We've also
received help with bread, rolls and
beans from the Salvation Army food
bank, and a member of the Emblem
Club provides homemade cookies
each week. It is a true community
effort. "
34 VIKING AUGUST 2020 sonsofnorway.com
District 3:
Fighting Alzheimer's Disease
In 2004, Dawn Green, a member of
Nor-Bu 3-427 in Rockaway, New
Jersey, learned that her mother, Love
Green, had been diagnosed with early
onset Alzheimer's Disease. She made it
her mission to enrich her mother's life
and help others.
Green, a filmmaker, is working on
a documentary called " Sheltering
Love " that details her mother's journey
with Alzheimer's. Research for the
film led her to Love's home country
of Norway, where Green connected
and filmed with several organizations
immersed in the wellbeing of people
with the disease. She learned there's a
difference between the care they receive
in Norway vs. the United States.
The information was brought to the
president of Nor-Bu, Audun Gythfeldt,
who suggested that Alzheimer's be the
lodge's cause to champion. Several
members have been afflicted, and
Love-a 50-plus-year member of NorBu-is
also Gythfeldt's twin sister.
An Alzheimer's Task Force was
formed, and the lodge declared itself

http://www.sonsofnorway.com

Viking Magazine - August 2020

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