On Feb. 18, the Secretary of Lake City Elks Lodge #893, Stephanie Bennett, presented $1,000 from the Elks National Foundation Spotlight Grant to the Altrusa Club of Lake City, Florida, to be utilized in their weekly backpack project where they supply two schools with food assistance for children in need. This includes weekends, long weekends, spring break, Thanksgiving break and Christmas break. Over 25 students are given food, juices, water and other essentials such as toothpaste and toothbrushes each week depending on the need. Pictured with Bennett are Gigi Register, president of Lake City Altrusa Club, and fellow Altrusans Amy Smith and Holly Frazier.
Also on Feb. 18, Lake City Lodge donated $1,000 from the Elks National Foundation Spotlight Grant to the Christian Service Center. These funds are designated for assistance of families located in Columbia County, Florida. Executive Director of Lake City Christian Service Center, Chris Walters, accepts the check from Exalted Ruler Chuck Nicholson, PER, Stephanie Bennett, Secretary.
Tallahassee Elks Lodge# 937 donated its $2,000 Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant to the Everhart Excellence Foundation, which supports Gretchen Everhart School for Exceptional Students by providing items that the school needs that are not covered by the school board's budget. At the lodge meeting March 2, Ron Brown, PER presents the check to Jane Floyd-Bullen, principal of Gretchen Everhart School.
Tallahassee Elks Lodge# 937 donated its $2,000 Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant to the Everhart Excellence Foundation, which supports Gretchen Everhart School for Exceptional Students by providing items that the school needs that are not covered by the school board's budget. At the lodge meeting March 2, Ron Brown, PER presents the check to Jane Floyd-Bullen, principal of Gretchen Everhart School.
Members of Tallahassee Lodge's Past Exalted Ruler Association transported used medical equipment stored at the lodge to Ability1st, the Center for Independent Living, in Tallahassee, Florida. Ability1st is a local organization that repurposes items for folks unable to purchase new equipment. The program is run almost entirely from donations. Included in the lodge donation were six wheelchairs, six walkers, four sets of crutches, six canes and a bedside commode. The donation was made Oct. 30, and by Nov. 2, two of the wheelchairs and one of the walkers had already been put back to use in the community. Pictured is Tom Walden, PDD unloading items at Ability1st.
Tallahassee Elks Lodge #937 delivered a box containing 60 Elks Drug Awareness bags, each with a variety of materials for kids, to Astoria Park Elementary School Oct. 22. Red ribbons had been provided earlier to the school's media center. Pictured are Tom Walden, Lodge Secretary; Karla Jones, Lodge Drug Awareness Chair; and, David Solz, principal.
Also in October, Tallahassee Lodge delivered a variety of school supplies to Astoria Park Elementary School including numerous backpacks, paper, pencils, erasers and composition books that were donated by lodge members. Dictionaries for third graders were delivered as well. Pictured in the school’s media center showing the school supplies and dictionaries are Katrina Bradwell, assistant principal, and Beth Freeman, media specialist and lodge member.