The Canadian Royal Purple Lodge 148, a community service club, has just seven members, but they are a busy, active group who, for 72 years, have been known for getting things done.
Lodge 148 is typical of many service groups in that they would like to have more members to help them do their good work. Statistics Canada says more than 65 per cent of non-profit organizations are experiencing a shortage of volunteers.
"We are few but we are mighty," said Darlene Sargent, who has been a member since she was 18.
She joined at the same time as another member, Phyllis Devost. Both women are looking forward to receiving their 60-year membership pins this year.
"We are a fun-loving, dynamic group of volunteers helping kids and our communities," said Sargent.
Devost's and Sargent's mothers were also members of the Royal Purple, which was started as a woman's auxiliary to the Elks of Canada, a men's service club, in 1914. Sudbury's Lodge 148 was established in 1952.
In 2014, the women's auxiliary separated from the Elks to start a new organization, the Canadian Royal Purple Society, which encourages women and men to join.
Instead of winding down like many volunteer groups with dwindling or aging memberships, Lodge 148 members remain enthusiastic about their projects and hosted the Ontario annual general meeting at the end of April.
And with the support of the national organization, which is in the process of establishing new lodges, they are looking at ways at encouraging new members.
Another member of Lodge 148 is Joanne Edwards, who will become national president this year. She lives in Espanola, and has been a member of Royal Purple for 20 years.
In 2022, Canadian Royal Purple Society adopted brain injury awareness and prevention as its national cause.
Last year, Lodge 148 members sold raffle tickets for a golf weekend and raised $2,810 for the Sudbury Brain Injury Association.
This year, they will take part in the national awareness campaign to be held Oct. 17 called Purple Thursday, which is aimed at creating awareness of brain injury caused from intimate partner violence. One in three Canadian women are injured by their partners. Injuries to the head, face and neck can cause brain injuries.
In connection with Purple Thursday, Lodge 148 is collecting personal items, makeup and treats for Bags of Love, which will be distributed to women's shelters.
In addition, Lodge 148 supports numerous good causes including food banks, the Sudbury Women's Centre, the Sudbury Hospice Foundation, and Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer.
They also support the Whinnying in Life Farm in Hanmer, which provides horse therapy for children with physical and cognitive disabilities.
"After a fire, we donated to rebuild, and paid for a pull cart for the horses to pull children in wheelchairs," said Sargent.
In 2019, the Sudbury Royal Purple Lodge donated $10,000 to the Maison McCulloch Hospice's Stand by Me campaign. Last year, they wrote the hospice a cheque for $3,000.
When asked, Lodge 148 has helped individuals with dental bills or assisted with the purchase of hearing aids and glasses or other special equipment.
The lodge members do all their good work with money raised by volunteering as customer support workers at Delta Bingo sessions and by selling tickets for the Sudbury Canadian Hard of Hearing Dream Home raffle.
Lodge 148 meets the first Sunday of the month at the Parkside Centre. For more information, visit the group's Facebook page.
The Canadian Royal Purple has lodges in Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, and a virtual lodge in northwestern Ontario. The society is also active in Western Canada.
National Royal Purple Week is May 12 to 18.
"We love to volunteer and we have fun doing it," said Sargent.
Vicki Gilhula is a freelance writer. Helpers is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
