Gift of Life Howie’s House provides affordable lodging, meals and support services to those who travel to Philadelphia for transplant-related care. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania has qualified for the Home Cook Heroes “All Star” Award several years in a row.

“I’m a firm believer that everyone can put aside their differences when they sit down to a meal together,” Brother Bill Soloway, director of the Masonic Blood + Organ Donor Program, said. “Food brings fellowship. Also, there’s always someone with bigger concerns than I have. To cook for them hopefully makes their life better and puts a smile on their face. We [brothers] also get to socialize and build fraternal bonds working on a cause greater than ourselves.”

If your lodge would like to help continue this heartwarming tradition, please fill out the form below to be eligible for the 2026 Home Cook Heroes All Star Award.

• Groups must provide at least 12 meals in a calendar year.
• Groups can sign up for no more than two dates in one month.
• Groups must be signed up and led by the same group leader.
• The group leader will be the point of contact for all dates but does not need to be present for each date.
• Groups must have the same group name for each date.
• Please note, all volunteers must abide by the illness policy.

For your lodge’s opportunity to count toward this goal, you must fill out the form on the Gift of Life’s website with the following specific pieces of information:

• Group or Company Name: Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
• Questions or Comments: Your Lodge Name

If your sign-up does not include this information, it will not count toward The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania’s All Star goal. Questions or concerns? Please contact Bill Soloway at wsoloway@pagrandlodge.org.

Read how Masonic District D has been supporting this cause for several years: Cooking for a Good Cause – Masonic Blood + Organ Donor Program.

“We consider Howie’s House our second home and another family. For the patient and the caregiver staying with the patient, the staff are phenomenal and treat you like family. Instead of sitting in a hotel room or somewhere all alone, Howie’s House not only offers delicious, home-cooked meals made by Masons and volunteers, but you’re able to sit and talk to others in similar situations. It brings a little bit of happiness and a feeling of home while you’re going through some of the roughest times of your life. If you’re in surgery or staying at the hospital for any period of time, your caretaker can stay at Howie’s House, too, which makes a huge difference.”