Serve Your Community.
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Congratulations to the class of 2013 Impact Grant recipients! The following projects will receive between $2,500 and $10,000 to make a significant different in their communities. Renewal grants are listed in green.
Huntsville, AL, Lodge No. 1648 will continue the Engineering, Leadership, Knowledge and Service Among Today's Youth project, which focuses on showing students the real life applications of math and science. As the program expands, Elks will again mentor students in engineering, robotics, medicine and more, as well as organize and promote service opportunities for the students.
Cahaba Valley, AL, Lodge No. 1738 will continue to assemble and distribute Comfort and Care kits to hundreds of patients and their caregivers at local dialysis centers through the Expressing Loving Kindness and Support (ELKS) project. Elks will continue to have events for the patients and a support program for caregivers, as well as expand the project to patients at a seventh dialysis center.
Sierra Vista, AZ, Lodge No. 2065 will continue to offer kids in need access to technology with the Computers for Kids project. Elks collect donated computer equipment from the community, and repair, upgrade and reassemble the equipment. Elks then distribute these computers to low-income families in the community, to ensure that every child has an equal chance at a good education.
San Diego, CA, Lodge No. 168 will help recently arrived refugee families adjust to life in the United States with the Elks Student Citizen Motivation project. Elks will tutor schoolchildren, run after-school programs and plan several career days for refugee children. Elks will also help with reading and English language classes and mentor adults through the citizenship process.
Santa Barbara, CA, Lodge No. 613 will continue to support local veterans through the Peace for Veterans project. Elks hold monthly veterans luncheons, at which veterans receive a great meal, and presentations from local speakers, from doctors and social workers to government representatives and veterans support organization leaders. Elks will also provide gas cards, clothes and other assistance to veterans through a partnership with the VA.
Livermore-Pleasanton, CA, Lodge No. 2117 will help veterans staying at a local VA hospital Community Living Center with the Helping Those who Served Us project. Elks will expand rehabilitation activities by holding weekly game nights, monthly lunches, music instruction and assisting with bi-weekly art classes. Elks will also keep a stocked supply cabinet for the veterans’ use.
Durango, CO, Lodge No. 507 will support veterans in need through the Help Vets project. Elks will provide bi-annual care packages for 60 homeless veterans in the community, along with gas cards for cold nights. Elks will also provide companionship and care packages for 40 elderly veterans, and adapt homes and install wheelchair ramps for veterans with disabilities.
Bridgeport, CT, Lodge No. 36 will continue to provide monthly meals and events for veterans staying at the Homes for the Brave facility through the Serving Those Who Served project. Elks will also provide basic necessities such as nonperishable food, toiletries and clothing and a care package for each veteran at the facility.
Naugatuck, CT, Lodge No. 967 will continue to assists senior citizens and people with disabilities through the Senior Home Work project. Elks will provide no cost maintenance to these homeowners, and help out by cleaning gutters, fixing faucets, painting homes, repairing windows and more.
Ocala, FL, Lodge No. 286 will continue to provide meals for homeless and homebound veterans through the Feed the Heroes project. Elks will purchase, prepare and deliver 15 meals each week to veterans, and run an awareness campaign about veterans in need in the community.
Bradenton, FL, Lodge No. 1511 will continue to help kids in need with the Elks Feeding Empty Little Tummies project. Elks partner with several community groups and are now able to purchase, pack and deliver weekend food packs to 600 students each week. Several local groups have followed the Lodge’s lead, and coordinate with the Elks to provide weekend food packs to 500 more students.
Hilo, HI, Lodge No. 759 will promote healthy lifestyles for people with diabetes with the From the Garden project. Elks will construct and deliver 100 garden boxes to community members with diabetes, along with soil, fertilizer and seedlings so each can plant a garden full of fruits and vegetables at their home.
Sandpoint, ID, Lodge No. 1376 will continue to provide local youth with a free recreational activity through the Junior Golf project. Elks will organize, teach and run two month-long instructional golf programs for kids in the community.
Saint Maries, ID, Lodge No. 1418 will continue to help run the Elks & 4-H Afterschool project, providing teens with after-school activities like cooking class, bowling teams and Lego Robotics instruction. Elks will provide equipment and support, and act as volunteers, mentors and coaches for the youth involved. The program will expand this year to include career counseling for teens.
Princeton, IL, Lodge No. 1461 will fight hunger in the community with the Our Table project. Each Thursday night, Elks will prepare and serve a meal to anyone in the community in need.
Winfield, KS, Lodge No. 732 will continue to repair the homes of those in the community who need assistance. Elks select recipients, recruit volunteers, and organize work days through the Elks Assist project.
Hopkins, MN, Lodge No. 2221 will reach out to homeless teens with the Teaming up for Teens project. Elks will hold dinners and events at the Lodge, and provide backpacks full of supplies, food and clothing for 100 teens each month.
Wadena, MN, Lodge No. 2386 will partner with the local high school to build a high tunnel greenhouse to promote year-round, sustainable gardening. Elks will take a leading role in the building aspects, volunteer labor, and plan educational activities.
Joplin, MO, Lodge No. 501 will build a community garden, accessible to children and adults with disabilities. The Lodge will construct and plant 20 garden beds, build and stock a garden tool shed, and establish and maintain an accessible greenhouse. The garden will produce fruits and vegetables to promote healthy living, and increase independence for people with disabilities.
Columbia, MO, Lodge No. 594 will continue to partner with the local food bank to provide weekend meals to students in need through the Elks Buddy Pack Program. Elks adopt several schools and provide students with backpacks full of healthy food, hygiene products and school supplies.
Osage Community, MO, Lodge No. 2705 will provide for students in need at four local schools with the School First Responder project. Elks will coordinate with teachers and school staff to meet the immediate needs of children by providing food, clothing, school supplies and other necessities.
Hickory, NC, Lodge No. 1654 will feed the hungry with the Helping Hands project. Elks will prepare and serve a meal one Sunday a month at the Lodge for hundreds of people. Elks will also distribute supply bags for each person, containing clothes, hygiene supplies and more.
Nashua, NH, Lodge No. 720 will continue to provide meals for those in need with the Free from Hunger project. Elks will purchase, prepare and serve one meal a week to hundreds of patrons at the local soup kitchen.
Summit, NJ, Lodge No. 1246 will help recently returned veterans find employment with the Post 9/11 Veteran Mentoring project. Elks will mentor veterans, arrange job training, practice interview skills and use their community ties to promote the hiring of veterans.
Sussex, NJ, Lodge No. 2288 will reach out to children with disabilities and their families with the GREAT Place Gathering Room project. The Lodge will hold monthly events catered to children with disabilities, and their siblings, while parents are given a chance to relax and socialize.
Tahoe/Douglas, NV, Lodge No. 2670 will continue to partner with a domestic violence shelter to provide food for women and children in need through the Elks Leading with Kindness and Support project. Elks provide healthy lunches, maintain an emergency food pantry, distribute food vouchers and run a support program for children staying at the shelter.
Lockport, NY, Lodge No. 41 will continue bringing the experience of summer camp to special-needs children and adults. Elks will again expand the project to include 150 campers and two overnight stays.
Mid Westchester, NY, Lodge No. 535 will continue to run a social group for teens with disabilities to reduce their isolation and offer their parents and families respite through the Social Group for Teens with Special Needs project. Elks will expand the program this year to include more teens.
Hillsboro, OH, Lodge No. 361 will continue to run a job training program for student with disabilities through the Impact a Life project. Elks will coordinate with students graduating from high school and provide them with training in the restaurant and landscaping fields. Elks will also hold awareness meetings and work with community members to coordinate interviews and employment opportunities.
Coos Bay, OR, Lodge No. 1160 will continue to address childhood hunger with the South Coast Food Share Weekend Snack Pack project. Elks provide snack packs to 80 children each weekend, and volunteer with a larger program to help many more children receive snack packs.
Corvallis, OR, Lodge No. 1413 will help the homeless and hungry through the weekend with the Providing for the Needy project. Elks will prepare and serve a meal one Sunday a month for hundreds of people. Elks will also collect and distribute clothes and hygiene supplies.
Burns, OR, Lodge No. 1680 will address the growing hunger problem in the frontier community with the Harney County Chuck Wagon project. Elks will provide healthy meals to those in need once a month. Elks will also provide backpacks full of food for three more days to any who need it.
Hillsboro, OR, Lodge No. 1862 will deliver meals to those in need with the Leading Progress project. Elks will partner with the food pantry to deliver emergency food and supplies to those who are unable to visit the food pantry.
Bristol County, RI, Lodge No. 1860 will continue to fight hunger in the community with the East Bay Cares project. Elks will partner with various food banks, churches, civic groups and businesses to provide all in need with adequate food supplies. Elks will also volunteer and coordinate healthy living and cooking classes.
Murrells Inlet, SC, Lodge No. 2797 will help provide dental care to those in need with the Emergency Dental Care Clinic project. Elks will partner with a coalition of local dentists to establish, equip and staff a dental care clinic.
Sumter, SC, Lodge No. 855 will partner with a local church to provide shelter for the homeless with the Calvary 323 Mission Shelter project. Elks will renovate, repair and adapt two local houses into homeless shelters. Elks will also run a GED and tutoring program for the residents, and provide clothing and supplies.
Fayetteville, TN, Lodge No. 1792 will continue to partner with the HELP program for juvenile offenders to run the Elks Leading Kids to Succeed Mentoring project. Elks will volunteer as mentors to youth, and will hold monthly activities ranging from service projects to educational trips to social get-togethers.
Austin, TX, Lodge No. 201 will reach out to children with disabilities with the Morgan’s Wonderland project. Elks will partner with local organizations to plan, coordinate and chaperone six trips to the amusement park for children with disabilities.
St. George ‘Dixie’, UT, Lodge No. 1743 will continue to provide material and other support for students at a local alternative high school with the Pantry Partners for Success project. Elks will focus especially on young parents, independent and at-risk students to improve the school’s graduation rate.
Fond Du Lac, WI, Lodge No. 57 will continue to encourage creativity with Open Art Studio for At-Risk Teens. Elks will partner with the studio to provide art workshops for teens every Thursday. Elks will also partner with the juvenile detention center to provide art classes for teens residing there.
Watertown, WI, Lodge No. 666 will continue to help community members recover their health quickly through the Health Care Equipment for Home Use project. Elks maintain a large supply of medical equipment and coordinate with hospitals to provide this equipment free of charge to those in need.
Wheeling, WV, Lodge No. 28 will continue to provide healthy meals in a family atmosphere at a local soup kitchen once a week. The Just for Kids project will include an educational presentation each week and homework help.
Lewisburg, WV, Lodge No. 1758 will expand the existing IMPACT Pantry project to provide students at seven different schools with needed hygiene products. Elks keep the pantries well-stocked and are present five days a week to distribute supplies and spend time with students.
For a printable version of this list, click here.
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