For many patients in VA hospitals, time can move slowly between visits from family and friends. In addition to holding events and providing friendship to veterans in VA hospitals, Elks also provide the tools for veterans to take up a new skill.

The Veterans Leather Program relies on the charity of hunters across the nation to donate hides so they can be turned into leather used for therapy programs for recovering veterans.

Leather is also used to provide professionally-crafted gloves for veterans in wheelchairs, which are distributed at veterans adaptive sports clinics and gatherings throughout the country. Click here to read more about the sports clinics!

Each year, thousands of Elks step up to help out with this program, offering their time, energy and skills to serve veterans. Their gifts help to create thousands of gloves and therapy kits provided to veterans at no charge.

Please note that this program is currently active in only a handful of states, listed below. If you are not in one of these locations, we unfortunately cannot accept your donated hides at this time. We hope to expand our locations in the future so keep an eye on this page!

• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Iowa
• Missouri
• Pennsylvania
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Tennessee
• Wisconsin