Details

Written by JoAnn Reddy

On Dec. 15, Lakewood Ranch-Sarasota Elks Lodge #2855 sent five teams to 25 Walgreens stores in Manatee and Sarasota counties to pick up 7,500 donated toys for children for Christmas. There were a total of 24 Elk volunteers participating. All of the toys were brought into the dining room and separated by gender and age groups. The lodge shared the toys with Prodigal Daughters in Sarasota, a home for mothers recovering from abuse or addiction and their children are allowed to live with them for up to two years to assist them in regaining a regular life. The two women who came to the lodge from this organization to pick out gifts were hesitant to take much. They were encouraged to take what they would like and left with a van full of goodies and were thrilled. A teacher from a Sarasota school came to collect books, puzzles and crayons for backpacks she was stuffing. Other gifts went to a migrant village. Members from a Myakka church came with a truck and picked up the balance of the toys to distribute to church families in need.

Pictured are Connie Graber and Roe Hyer sorting the toys and making sure they were safe for the children. 

Details

Written by Tracy Carroll, PER

Jacksonville and Orange Park Elks lodges teamed up and collected toys for local kids donated by members through the Marines Toys for Tots program. Donations exceeded six overflowing boxes of new toys as well as eight new bicycles.

Pictured are members from both lodges with the gifts.

Details

Written by Jacksonville Elks

On Dec. 6, Jacksonville Lodge delivered the 19th and 20th Welcome Home Kits to veterans transitioning from the Northeast Florida Women Veterans Center. Navy veteran Pat is a retired senior who is writing a book. Although she had several boxes in her living room, she said they mostly contained books, so the kit of kitchen, bathroom and cleaning supplies was most appreciated. Army and Air Force veteran Natalie’s kit was smaller, since she had already received several household items from other resources. She was very grateful for the two living room chairs so she could “finally sit down.” They were each gifted a donated patriotic quilt from the Comfort n Quilters group. A total of $290.59 was spent on the kits for both veterans.
Other items donated included in the Kits were pillows, bedding, blankets, dishes, pots and pans, kitchenware, towels, basic toiletries, shower liner, light bulbs, broom, mop and bucket, sponges, and a coffee maker, as well and food items purchased at the NAS JAX Commissary by Karen Tracy.

Pictured are Pat and Natalie with their quilts.

Details

Written by Virginia Warfield

On Dec. 20, St. Petersburg Elks Lodge members assembled 306 holiday food parcels to benefit local families in need. Each bag contained ham, mashed potatoes and gravy mix, stuffing, green beans, corn, and cranberry sauce. The food, valued at $7,500, was purchased with a $2,000 Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant; a $4,000 Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant; and donations from lodge and Ladies members. The parcels were distributed to the community by Northside Baptist Church and Tyrone Middle School.

Pictured are lodge members who packed the parcels.

Details

Written by Linda Califf

Gainesville Elks Lodge #990 uses the Elks National Veterans Service Commission Welcome Home Kit program to help veterans move from homelessness into independent living. The lodge partners with the local HUD-VASH Honor Center to receive the names of veterans in need and quickly responds to the social workers’ requests for assistance in providing the veterans with their immediate needs. To date, the lodge has submitted 36 kits to the ENVSC for reimbursement and have given more than 120 kits total to veterans, using additional funds from their Veterans account and ENVSC Freedom Grants. The ENVSC provides reimbursement per veteran of up to $400 per kit and up to $600 for each kit that includes a bed.

On Oct. 18, veteran Eric Lema and his twin daughters, Raediance and Raelynn, received their kit. The girls got new beds and bedding. Eric and his family received other donated furniture and household items. On Dec. 16 and Dec. 17, the lodge shopped for eight veterans, four each day. Pictured are Linda Califf, Veterans Chair, and Lori Salmons, Elk volunteer and bartender.

Details

Written by Jeff Rumler, PDD

On Nov. 24, a group of veterans from the Lake Nona VA visited Sanford Lodge for the monthly lunch and game day. They were served a Thanksgiving meal and pumpkin pie. Veterans helped decorate stockings that were later filled and sent to American soldiers overseas for Christmas by member Caryn George. One of the lodge’s minor members, Collin Carver, wanted to let the veterans help him with his school science project. He baked hundreds of cookies with six sugar types. The veterans had a great time tasting and ranking them for his project.

Pictured are veterans decorating stockings and with Collin Carver.