South Southwest District

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Written by Dr. Judith MacGregor

Our Mother’s Home was the recipient of Bonita Springs-Estero Lodge’s Elks National Foundation Spotlight Grant of $2,000. This organization is a shelter located in Estero, Florida, for girls ages 12 to 19 who are pregnant through abuse, rape or trafficking. The lodge held a community shower luncheon Feb. 17 to coincide with a school holiday so the young ladies could attend with lodge members and friends who brought baby supplies and toys. Grant funds were used to purchase larger items, carriers, bedding and other supplies. In addition, a literacy program conducted by the education director from Estero’s public library was included in the event.

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Written by Dr. Judith MacGregor

In the past fiscal Elks year, New Horizons of Southwest Florida has been the recipient of Elks National Foundation Beacon and Gratitude grants from Bonita Springs-Estero Elks Lodge #2753 totaling $4,500. It is an independent faith-based organization in Lee and Collier counties in Florida dedicated to improving education of children in grades K-12 who are at risk and below the poverty level by providing after-school volunteers who serve as tutors, mentors and aids at local churches. Funds from these two grants have been used to purchase computers, provide internet access at local sites so the kids can complete their homework, and purchase materials for a literacy reading summer camp. Lodge members are among the dedicated volunteers for the program that starts in June with reading camp and continued through mid-March when it went online due to the pandemic. Pictured Nov. 21, 2019, is Mr. Omar helping students at a computer lab.

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Written by Englewood Elks

Englewood Elks Lodge #2378 awarded seven scholarships to high school seniors which were announced May 20 at a virtual awards presentation by the high school. Normally, lodge members attend the senior award night to present the scholarships, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the scholarship committee informed the school of the winners and the school handled the distribution. Carly Brzostek and Austin Scheetz will each receive $3,000 per year for four years. Brzostek will be attending Marymount Manhattan College and majoring in the film industry, and Scheetz will be attending Florida Southern College and majoring in computer and informational sciences. The winner of the Bill Wellbaum Memorial Scholarship in the same amount is Aidan Moore. Moore hopes to attend the University of South Florida and plans to major in civil engineering. Four students were awarded $1,000 vocational scholarships – Etienne Beaugrand will study nursing at Suncoast Technical College, Adam Berry will study to become an emergency medical technician at Charlotte Technical College, Caleb Joyce will pursue automotive studies at Charlotte Technical College, and Abigail Parker will study cosmetology at Charlotte Technical College.

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Written by Deep Creek Elks

On April 1, the Elks National Foundation made applications available for the Gratitude Grant for 2020-2021. This money was to be used to directly address community needs during the coronavirus pandemic. The lodge knew who to contact as their recipient – Tina Figliuola, Chief Executive Officer for the Homeless Coalition in Charlotte County, Florida. For years, they have run a program that provides a hot meal every evening for anyone who shows up. When they talked to her, the program was feeding 125 people every night. By the time the lodge was able to present her with the $2,000 grant April 8, the numbers had grown so large that they had partnered with Jesus Loves You Ministries to be able to feed all who came. Lodge members Ron Steelman and Patrick McCarthy delivered the check.

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Written by Kathleen Demetsky

On April 29, Naples Elks Lodge #2010 presented their $2,000 Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant to St. Matthew’s House, a charitable organization in Naples, Florida, that houses those who are homeless, provides food to those in need, and assists those who are addicted and suffering. Pictured are Paul Martella, Exalted Ruler; Van Ellison, St. Matthew’s House CEO; and Robert Cedar, lodge Elks National Foundation Fundraising chair. Earlier that month, Cedar had filed to use the grant for pandemic relief, which was honored.