In response to the growing need for a supportive and safe living environment for aging and infirm Masons, the Grand Lodge of Washington saw the creation of the Masonic Retirement Center (MRC) as a way to provide for aging Brothers, their families, and others in need. Today, Washington Masonic Services carries out the purpose of the MRC: supporting aging Masons and their families, and those in crisis to live with safety, dignity, and care.
Our organization was originally formed in 1994 as the “Masonic Retirement Center of Washington” to operate the Masonic Retirement Center (MRC), which opened in 1926 in Des Moines, WA.
In 2012, the MRC was consolidated with the other nonprofit efforts of the Grand Lodge of Washington, and the resulting entity was named “Washington Masonic Charities”. The programmatic areas of focus are seniors, youth and education, and Masonic heritage.
Through the years, people’s thoughts on how they want to live in retirement shifted to staying in their homes and communities, which meant an ever-dwindling client base for the MRC as costs continued to escalate. Eventually operation of the MRC was no longer sustainable. With great regret, the property was sold in 2019.
Today, Washington Masonic Services case managers work in close collaboration with the Grand Lodge, Blue Lodges, individual Masons, Appendant and Concordant Bodies, and other community partners. In addition, WAMS invests in youth through a robust and growing scholarship program; and illuminates the impact of Masonry on Washington’s past, present, and future by operating the Masonic Library & Museum.
In order to better meet our mission of service to Masons, their families, and communities, in 2022 we began doing business as Washington Masonic Services to eliminate the barriers some people associate with the word “charities.”
