ENF Announces Promise Grants

November marks the kick-off for the 2004 Promise Grants program. Entering its sixth year, the Promise Grants program encourages Lodges to provide the youth of their community with a healthy, safe environment in which to have fun.

Promise Grants are available to the first 250 Elks Lodges that pledge to hold drug-, alcohol- and violence-free events for youth in their community. Examples include, but are not limited to, After-Prom parties, graduation parties, teen dances, pool parties, youth lock-ins, back-to-school events or Red Ribbon celebrations. These 250 Lodges are eligible, through support from the ENF-funded Elks Drug Awareness Program, for reimbursement of expenses of up to $200. In order to be eligible for reimbursement, the youth events must be held between April 1 and November 30, 2004.

Promise Grants pledge forms will be mailed to Lodge Drug Awareness Program chairs in November. Pledge forms are also available at www.elks.org/enf/promisegrants.cfm. The pledge form must be completed and received by the Elks National Foundation no later than March 31, 2004.

For more information, contact Eliza Lazar, Elks National Foundation, 2750 N. Lakeview Ave., Chicago, IL, 60614, elizal@elks.org, 773/755-4864.

Serving Those Who Served

In 1917, the world was at war. At this time of crisis, the Elks quickly went into action to help aid and care for our nation’s wounded soldiers, establishing a war relief fund. In 1946, the Elks pledged that, “so long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks will never forget them,” and the Elks National Veterans Service Commission was born.

Today, the Commission, along with the help of hundreds of caring and dedicated volunteers, provides aid and comfort at each of the 127 VA Medical Centers around the country. In each of these centers, an Elk committee is working. Literally, thousands of Elks and their families give generously of their time, energy and resources to enhance the lives of our ill and aging veterans. Hundreds of thousands of hours and like numbers of dollars are devoted to programs that are designed to honor the Elks pledge.

In addition, the commission sponsors activities such as youth veterans volunteers; adopt-a-veteran; tooling leather, used in occupational and recreational therapy; and playing cards for hospitalized veterans. The commission also supports Re-Creation, a group of entertainers that travels the nation, performing at VA medical centers. Recently, the Commission broadened its efforts to include outpatients and veterans who are homeless.

November is Elks Veterans Remembrance Month. The Elks National Foundation is proud to provide the Order’s Veterans Service Program with a grant in 2003-04 of $722,000. Since 1984, the Foundation has granted $8.6 million to help our nation’s veterans. For more information about the Elks veterans efforts, visit www.elks.org/vets.