Thanks to the California-Hawaii Elks, these families have somewhere to turn when they need help.
Community Investments The Elks National Foundation is proud to partner with the state Elks associations, like California-Hawaii, to help meet local needs. Since inception, the Foundation has granted $11,347,034 in state charities grants and $3,060,000 in special project grants to the California-Hawaii Elks association. These grants help fund state programs, such as the pledge to care for children with disabilities.
Pledge to Address Unmet Needs In 1950, the California-Hawaii Elks identified a shortage of trained therapists who could come to the aid of children with disabilities. They responded by pledging to address the unmet needs of these children throughout the states of California and Hawaii.
The Elks developed a program that offers occupational, physical and speech therapy; vision screenings; and educational financial assistance at no cost to families. The project currently employees 34 trained professionals who travel in mobile units to regions that are traditionally underserved, such as rural areas, geographically remote areas and small towns. These professionals provide, on average, more than 14,000 in-home therapy sessions and screen 50,000 to 60,000 children for vision problems every year.
Ability, Not Disability Through individual home instruction, the Occupational Therapy program works toward helping children become as independent and self-sufficient as possible. Therapists work with parents to teach children the basics, from feeding and dressing skills to dealing with problems in sensory integration. Therapy opens the door for children with disabilities to become contributing members of their communities on a level that’s based on ability, not disability.
Five-year-old Brady Dennington’s parents, Sara and Gabe, faced a tough road when he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. A chance interaction between Brady’s grandmother and a California-Hawaii Elks volunteer, led the family to Mavis Johnson, one of the Elks occupational therapists. Brady began receiving therapy in his home in February 2002, and today he feeds himself independently; has started using a walker; and will soon attend school.
“I remember hearing the story of Brady’s birth,” says his therapist, Mavis. “It was traumatic for the entire family. I wanted to fix everything. But we had to start with learning how to accept his disability and to be there by his side.”
Sara and Gabe are proud of Brady’s progress, and appreciate Mavis’s support. “We hope the Elks will continue to be inspired by the results of the help you give to children with disabilities,” says Sara.
Maximizing Independence The California-Hawaii Elks team also includes physical therapists that evaluate and treat children with a wide range of disabilities as they travel from home to home. Their focus is to help these children learn or improve important motor skills by educating or re-educating muscles and increasing strength, endurance and coordination.
When Sammy, another client of the California-Hawaii program, and his therapist Judy engage in a therapy session, their focus is on finding unique ways to manage his cerebral palsy.
“I’m not a conventional therapist,” says Judy. “I try to do the things that will help him break through a new barrier. Whether it’s learning how to write, sit up in a chair or speak clearly, I’m not trying to fix or make his cerebral palsy go away. I’m trying to maximize his independence.”
Sammy’s mom is grateful for Judy’s help, which is provided free of charge, thanks to the California-Hawaii Elks. “They [the Elks] have made this little boy into a happy little boy that can accomplish goals,” she says. “Thank you for choosing to help kids like Sammy.”
Other Children’s Health Issues Other children’s health issues, such as speech disorders and vision screenings, are also supported by the California-Hawaii Elks program. Imagine a child’s frustration as he struggles to make himself understood but can’t. Or a parent’s distress that he can’t respond to his child’s pressing need. Unfortunately, not all children are able to communicate their needs. Cleft palate, hearing impairment, articulation disorder, language delay, stuttering, swallowing or feeding problems all require speech therapy. Elks speech-language pathologists diagnose communication disorders and coordinate home treatment programs for children and their parents.
The California-Hawaii Elks Preschool Vision Screening Program screens over 50,000 children per year at locations such as preschools, daycare centers, health fairs and Lodge open screenings. The program’s goal is to significantly decrease the number of children at risk for amblyopia ("lazy eye") and other vision problems. If not detected and treated, lazy eye can cause permanently faulty vision or even blindness. The easiest way to prevent children from eye damage is to perform regular vision screenings.
A Life-Long Commitment to Education California-Hawaii Elks are also committed to educating children with disabilities once they reach their teens. In 1981, they began a program to provide financial assistance to students with disabilities who wish to further their education through college. The program, which annually awards 30 scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,000, serves two purposes: to aid these special students in pursuing their higher education goals and to help them become contributing members of their communities.
50 Years and Beyond For more than 50 years, the California-Hawaii Elks have remained steadfast to their pledge to improve the quality of life for children with special needs, and are proud that they have reached more than one million children since the project’s beginning. But, challenges loom on the horizon.
The major project’s Executive Director, Timothy Martin, identifies rising medical and insurance costs as two hurdles the group faces. “I get frustrated as an administrator,” says Tim. “It’s hard to control the budget when certain costs are out of our hands. But we’re proud that we can say that 92 cents of every dollar contributed to this program goes directly toward providing services. Our vision for the future is to continue this program for another 50 years.”
To learn more about how the Elks National Foundation is partnering with your state to meet the needs of your community, visit www.elks.org/enf/yourstate.cfm. Grant distributions for 2005-06 will be announced in June 2005.