Tampa Elks Lodge uses its Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant to fund the Motivated Mustangs Club at Madison Middle School, now in its second year. Member Patty Volpe is the project manager. The club meets monthly during second lunch, and there are two planned field trips. The school sponsor is the school’s social worker, Tessa Hunziker; she chooses the students who need extra support to succeed and invites them to the club. At the Sept. 17 meeting, the students and members got to know each other. Members provided pizza and dessert, with sodas or water. Each student got a second round of pizza to go, too. Lamari was the raffle winner of a $25 Walmart gift card. Leftover pizza and drinks were sent to the teachers’ lounge. This school year, the Elks have set up a snack pantry in the guidance office for club students who miss free breakfast or lunch due to arriving late.
This month’s volunteers were Patty Volpe, program manager; Elks Rosann Garcia, Carolyn Miller, and Rita Smith, PER; Laura Bell, PTA president; and Shelagh Gombarcik, PER.