Northwest District

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

Fort Walton Lodge partnered with United for a Good Cause Sept. 12 to support the Hope Squad in the county school system with the presentation of the $4,000 Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant. Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program in schools. Okaloosa County has been in the top 10 Florida counties for youth suicide for many years. Most often a youth will reach out to a peer before an adult if they are thinking about suicide. Youth suicide is increasing in the country and the lodge wants to help address the mental issues students struggle with in today's environment. There are currently 15 out of 20 secondary schools in Okaloosa County with Hope Squads. The program needs to be expanded to all 20 schools. One of the suicides in the county last year was a fourth grader.

Pictured are Paul Willey, PER; Linda Mayfield, PER; Marcie Tingler, Esquire; Kathy Pacheco, 3-year trustee; Jamie Clemons, Secretary; Rob Parks, Loyal Knight; Peggy Brockman, Hope Squad executive director; Paul Eubanks, PER; Marcia WrightReynolds, Lecturing Knight; Tom Knowles, PER; Kevin Clemons, PDD, Northwest District Leader; Tom McLaughlin, Leading Knight; and Michael “Taz” WrightReynolds, PER, Exalted Ruler.

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

On Sept. 13, Destin Lodge presented $2,000 from the Elks National Foundation Spotlight Grant to Food for Thought of Destin, Florida. They assist in providing food to many children through their backpack program at local schools. The Food for Thought mission is to provide outreach in the community to bridge the meal gap in the lives of food-insecure children and empower them to get the most out of their education. They understand that students coming to school after missing multiple meals do not learn or develop at the same rate as their peers. The goal is to provide year-round services to take the fear, stress and illness related to childhood hunger away from students from kindergarten to 12th grade. They provide weekly access to healthy, easy-to-prepare meals.

Pictured are member Terri Griffin; Allison Chorey, Food for Thought program manager; and member Robert Griffin.

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

Destin Lodge presented $2,000, the remainder of its Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant, to the Blue Door Homeless Ministry of Destin Aug. 24. The ministry was so grateful for this much-needed gift. They support those experiencing homelessness on a daily basis by providing showers, clothes, shoes, bag lunches and other services. This ministry also operates a food pantry that provides hot meals several times a week. This money will be used to keep the pantry stocked and to purchase necessary supplies such as personal care products.

Pictured are member Terri Griffin, Paula Jorgensen of Blue Door and member Marion Hargraves.

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

Using the Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant and under the guidance of Caroleen Swanson and Tammy Kuhn, project officers, Twin Cities Elks Lodge #2747 conducted the lodge’s eighth annual Backpacks and School Supplies for Kids initiative July 30 and Aug. 4. In cooperation with The United Way’s Sharing and Caring of Okaloosa County, the lodge purchased and donated 103 backpacks valued at $2,035 and $2,000 in school supplies to returning students in the Niceville and Valparaiso community. This program provides much-needed school supplies to local students and their families needing assistance defraying back-to-school expenses. Distribution was made at the lodge and the Sharing and Caring facility in Niceville. The students showed so much appreciation.

Pictured at the lodge are Florena Dowdy; Tammy Kuhn; Joyce Griffin, Tiler; Lorraine Jones; Caroleen Swanson, Treasurer; Ron Peterson; Ann Kur; Bob Griffin, trustee; Tom Kuhn, PER; and Kim Cauley.

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

Holley-Navarre Elks Lodge #2787’s Drug Awareness Committee was at the outdoor market at Pik-itz, an art and antique shop of Navarre, Florida, Aug. 20 displaying information and giving brochures about the Elks Drug Awareness program, the Elks National Foundation Most Valued Student Scholarship and Florida Elks Children’s Therapy Services. If a family had children with them, a bag with similar information was provided for parents along with a coloring book, crayons, pencil and drug-free Red Ribbon for each child. What makes a weekend like this special is knowing that drug use touches almost everyone’s life or family, and lodge members provided a listening presence to hear their stories. The lodge is grateful to Terry Light, owner of Pik-itz, who provided the space for them to set up a canopy and provide information to the community.

Pictured with two guests at the booth are Jeff Grady; Kris Kane, PER; Tom Stevens, Northwest District Vice President; Heather Townsend; Ray Yantch, PER; and Skip DalleMolle, Lodge Chair of Drug Awareness and Public Relations.

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Written by Taz WrightReynolds, PER

On July 8, Fort Walton Elks Lodge #1795 presented its $3,000 Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant to One Hopeful Place at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee. There were approximately 300 business, community, church and school leaders in attendance during the presentation. The lodge will partner with One Hopeful Place, the primary shelter in the community serving unaccompanied individuals and veterans experiencing homelessness. They currently operate a 50-bed shelter for men and a 10-bed shelter for women. The community struggles with affordable housing issues due to high costs of both permanent housing and rental housing costs in the area. One Hopeful Place is the doorway into permanent housing and their mission is to help end the cycle of homelessness for those experiencing housing loss.

Pictured at the check presentation are Larry McFarland, Robin Donlon, Bonnie Barlow, Sherry Jones, Donna Morgan, and Lisa Jo Spencer of One Hopeful Place; Marcia WrightReynolds, Lecturing Knight; Kevin Clemons, PDD, Northwest District Leader; Jamie Clemons, Secretary; Paul Eubanks, PER; lodge member Jackie Hubbell; and Michael “Taz” WrightReynolds, PER, Exalted Ruler.