North Central District

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Written by Suzanne Cunningham

Ten Eustis Anna Miller members and seven Eustis Elks met Sunday, Sept. 23, to pack $5,619-worth of donations for The Haven of Lake and Sumter Counties. This included 332 welcome kits of travel-sized toiletries, 10 birthday cake kits, a child's bike, children's books, toys, children’s and adult clothes, and many more items. This trip filled three SUVs. This collection put their combined contributions to The Haven at over $66,000.  

Domestic violence is a serious problem.  It affects millions of people and their children every year. The Haven of Lake and Sumter Counties has served 3,070 survivors/children in 2017-2018 via shelter and hotline services. The Eustis Anna Miller members are honored to continue to be of service to them.

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Written by Jan Belland

Inverness Lodge’s simple project to fund swimming lessons and donate water-safety equipment to their local YMCA transformed into a half-day water-safety expo. In unison with other organizations, the lodge provided 120 Coast Guard-approved life vests and water-safety advice. In addition, the lodge gave the opening address and manned an Elk information booth which featured the Dragon Boat Festival.

A YMCA staff member fits a child with a life vest donated by Inverness Elks Lodge.

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Written by Jan Belland

Inverness Lodge provided 85 backpacks loaded with school supplies to foster children served by the Citrus County Foster Parent Association and 75 backpacks to 14 area schools. The program is funded by the Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant.

Pictured are Elk Jan Belland, project co-chairman; Elba Jiminez, Citrus County Foster Parent Association board member; volunteer Skye Worrell; Lynn Kanawall, CCFPA advisor; Richard Grosnick, ENF lodge chairman; and Elk Judy Horton, lodge trustee, at the donation presentation of 85 school-supply filled backpacks for the foster children.

Dunnellon Middle School principal, Delbert Smallridge, left, accepts a donation of backpacks from Inverness Lodge presented by Exalted Ruler, Bill Mc Avay and his wife, Fern. Smallridge was very grateful; the need in Marion County is almost desperate as 30% of the children there live well below the poverty line.

Jan Belland and Richard Grosnick, second and third from left, present backpacks to Inverness Middle School’s social workers staff Christi Wilson and Diane Buie. Eighth-grader Cassidy Bacon is pictured at left.

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Written by Jan Belland

Inverness Elks Lodge #2522 donated $500 to Find-M’ Friends, a local nonprofit organization pursuing ways to find every person who is missing. The lodge donation will be used to assemble 250 scent kits to help make children and elderly safer. The organization trains bloodhounds to track a scent using the kits.

Pictured are Inverness Lodge Secretary, Mike Pombier; Find-M’ Friends volunteer, Ron Kornatowski; and Lodge Treasurer, Randy Rouch.

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Written by Ocala Elks

In honor of National Police Week, Ocala Elks Lodge #286 showed the community that Elks care and Elks share by providing lunch for Marion County Sheriff’s deputies as well as Ocala police officers. A group of volunteers delivered fried chicken, baked beans and potato salad to their respective headquarters.