When Brother Zak Haskin first learned about the Masonic Fraternity in 2014, he was drawn in by how a friend described it to him: “[it is] a Brotherhood that gives to each other and the community, but does it for the end result – not for the recognition.” The idea resonated deeply with Zak.
“If I had the time and money,” Zak said, “I would give it all away to make the community better and not look for a single ounce of recognition.”
Although he joined the Fraternity in 2014, Brother Zak did not become actively involved until 2020. Today, he serves as Master of Sikeston Lodge No. 310 and is committed to working through all the chairs.
Seeing a Need Close to Home
Zak moved to Sikeston in 2012 to join the Police/Fire Department. Through his work, he came face-to-face with the struggles many families experience and witnessed need in a way most people never do.
As he became more active in Sikeston Lodge and the broader community, one issue stood out: the number of children sleeping on floors, couches, or piles of clothes.
“I believe there is a specific need in the community we live in for beds and to provide them to the children who need them,” Zak said.
Last fall, Sikeston Lodge learned about the Poplar Bluff Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s Bed Build Project through their ongoing relationship with Prince Hall’s Peaceful Lodge No. 181. Brother Lorenzo Ware Sr., Grand Junior Warden for Peaceful Lodge – and a good friend of Zak’s – was the main driver of this project.
“He was the inspiration to link the two Lodges to get back into the community in various ways,” Brother Zak said.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is a nonprofit organization that builds and delivers beds to children who do not have one, ensuring “no kid sleeps on the floor”. Their volunteers work nationwide to provide complete, ready-to-sleep-in beds for families in need.
“There is a need in the world for our charitable works,” a member of Sikeston Lodge said. “We just need to make sure people know what we do.”
Collaboration Rooted in Service
To support the project, Sikeston Lodge and Peaceful Lodge organized a joint fish fry to raise funds for the bed build project. Together they raised $750 – a testament to community generosity and the dedication of both Lodges.
Through the Masonic Home of Missouri’s Creating-A-Partnership (CAP) Program, those funds were matched, bringing the total to $2,250, and allowing the Lodges to meet Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s fundraising goal for their upcoming build day.
“It was an easy program to utilize,” Brother Zak said. “The hardest part was finding what community program we wanted to support as a Lodge.”
Brother Zak Haskin of Sikeston Lodge No. 310 and Brother Lorenzo Ware Sr. of Prince Hall Peaceful Lodge No. 181 present a check to Sleep in Heavenly Peace – Poplar Bluff during the Sikeston bed build.
Building Beds, Building Community
When the build day arrived, Sikeston Lodge and Peaceful Lodge members, community sponsors, and local volunteers gathered with a shared purpose: to work side by side assembling brand-new wooden beds for children in need.
“Many hands make light work,” one member of Sikeston Lodge said, “People working together to make things work for good.”
Roughly 50 people, including about a dozen SHP volunteers, came together to support the effort.
Members of Sikeston Lodge and Peaceful Lodge, alongside Sleep in Heavenly Peace volunteers and community partners, work together to build 35 beds for children in need.
By the end of the day, they constructed 35 beds, each one representing a child who no longer has to sleep on a couch, the floor, or a pile of clothes.
“This was a great project to give back to the community and promote the great things that can be accomplished through the Brotherhood of Freemasonry,” said Zak.
The Power of Partnership
Reflecting on the experience, Brother Zak emphasized that the project’s success was not due to any one person or Lodge, but to the teamwork of everyone involved.
“All of our partnerships were amazing,” Zak said. “It was a great day, and none of it could have been possible if one piece of the puzzle was missing.”
The Sleep in Heavenly Peace Bed Build Project not only provided essential support to children and families in Southeast Missouri – it strengthened relationships and reminded everyone involved how meaningful small acts can be when multiplied through community.
“It was humbling to hear from the Sleep In Heavenly Peace volunteers how many children sleep on piles of laundry,” one member of Sikeston Lodge said. “The fact that we can come together and make something as simple as a bed was enriching.”
Volunteers add personal messages to the wooden bed components—heartfelt signatures that will become part of the new beds delivered to children who do not have one.
Sikeston Lodge and Peaceful Lodge hope to establish a Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter in Sikeston this year to expand the impact even further.
“If you can help one person a day, you’re making a difference,” Brother Zak said. “Slow change is better than none.”
Be the Next Success Story
Small acts become powerful when shared — and the success of Sikeston Lodge and Peaceful Lodges shows just how far a simple idea can go when Lodges work together.
If your Lodge or Chapter wants to support children and strengthen community partnerships, the Masonic Home of Missouri’s Creating-A-Partnership (CAP) Program can help you make it happen.
CAP matches your fundraising efforts, multiplies your impact, and gives Lodges and Chapters the support they need to create meaningful change right where they live.
Learn how your Lodge or Chapter can take part in a CAP project and become the spark that transforms your community by visiting https://www.mohome.org/outreach-programs/partnership-programs/creating-a-partnership/ or calling the Masonic Home at (800) 434-9804.
