Page 20 - Essex Mason Spring Special Edition

Almoner

Our Normal Work Continues
A Call for Action

he MCF is closed until further notice and the Provincial Almoner’s Team are unable to make house visits, but the
Tongoing and longer-term claim work still continues and we are all busier than ever before.
• Daily Living Expenses and Emergency Large Grant applications are still being assessed and policy guidance is in
place on how we have to assess income in the many scenarios faced by our applicants (e.g. furlough, zero hours
contracts, self-employment, etc).
• Families who have a current grant from the MCF have been contacted to remind them that we can provide
essential IT equipment to support education and well-being.
• The MCF are no longer accepting new applications for mobility equipment and medical treatment, except for
cancer care, urgent cardiac care and urgent ophthalmic care. Any person making an enquiry about other forms
of medical treatment are asked to contact the MCF at a later date.
• The RMBI, at the time of writing this article, remains open for admissions and for respite care.
• The MCF Telephone Counselling Care Line continues to be provided, but there may be a longer than usual wait
for an initial assessment.
• An email has been sent to all existing Daily Living Expense (DLE) beneficiaries to confirm that their grant will
continue to be paid and that their reviews will still take place at the appropriate time.
• At the point that visits were suspended, the MCF had around 300 commissions awaiting completion. They have
now contacted nearly all those individuals by telephone to commence their application.
• New applicants are being asked to contact the Provincial Team and either we or the claimant can then get in
touch with the MCF Claim Team via help@mcf.org.uk or 0800 035 60 90.

An Almoner’s Conclusion

et me close with an edited extract of some very appropriate words, some of which I have been given by the
LMetropolitan Grand Almoner in London.
“The great majority of us have had no previous experience of the harrowing times we are currently experiencing. No
doubt, it will bring out the very best in people and in some cases, sadly the worst. We, the Almoners, now and in the
months to come, are having to be at the forefront of our Lodges and Chapters in delivering the pastoral care that is so
critical to the welfare of all our Members.
When this has passed, we will be defined and judged by how we met the standards of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth,
the compassion we showed, the assistance we provided and the care and empathy, we willingly gave to our Brethren
in need.
For this coming period, no Lodge officer has more responsibility than we, the Almoners, in discharging our pastoral
duties. Let time show that we lived up to and exceeded the expectation and that it was a great honour to have been
able to serve our Brethren, who have placed their trust in us.
This is what we committed to, when we were invested with our collars and I know we will willingly and ably take up that
responsibility.

The Provincial Grand Almoners and their teams across all Provinces, are providing nationwide coverage with regard to
being able to contact a Brother or a widow, no matter where in the UK they live, and arrange
for assistance to be given as appropriate. Distance is no barrier to giving assistance. Let us
know the problem and we can try and do something about it.
Almoners have a very challenging job, which requires us to be on call 24/7. Lodges must
give some thought as to what happens if the Almoner is taken ill and this is why we have
always recommended that a deputy is appointed”

Let us hope that our actions during this crisis make us proud to be an Almoner and that we
were there when we were needed.

Thank you for all you are doing

Nick Clarke
ESSEX ALMONERS
POCKET GUIDE

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