Veterans Day, Every Day!

Happy Veterans Day—a day set aside to celebrate the men and women who have served in the U.S. military! While taking one day to honor those who have served is important, here at the Elks National Foundation and across Elkdom, we take every day to support veterans and military members through community service.



Cadillac, Mich., Lodge No. 680 travels to Camp Grayling Training Center and provides Lunch for the 70 soldiers from the local Army National Guard Unit. With a Beacon Grant, the Lodge provides two onsite lunches and one lunch for travel back home.



Grand Junction, Colo., Lodge No. 575 facilitates an overnight rafting trip for veterans with physical disabilities. The Lodge’s Gratitude Grant allows for 10 veterans to exercise skills learned throughout physical therapy in a novel way.



Burns, Ore., Lodge No. 1680 runs a Stand Down for veterans experiencing homelessness. Freedom Grant funds go towards assembling hygiene kits to pass out during the event, as hygiene items are often sacrificed for more pressing needs such as food or shelter.


Xenia, Ohio, Lodge No. 668 provides social activities throughout the year to veterans at their local VA home. The funds received from their Beacon Grant make it possible to provide much needed clothing and canteen vouchers for additional personal items.




On top of these great examples of how Lodges use grants to help veterans and military members in need, the staff also does its part right here at headquarters to serve veterans most in need. During this Veterans Remembrance Month, the Elks National Veterans Service Commission will be host a sweater drive on Friday, November 11 for the Chicago Winter Stand Down. Then, staff members will attend the Chicago Winter Stand Down on November 18 to help better the lives of veterans first hand!

We hope you have a great Veterans Day and continue to better the lives of veterans in your Lodge community all year long. In fact, consider using a Beacon Grant or Gratitude Grant to serve veterans in your community today!

The Elks National Foundation allocated $9.8 million this year to fund the Community Investments Program. Lodges meet local needs through Beacon, Gratitude, Promise and Impact Grants. These grants offer Lodges opportunities to serve the community in ways that will raise the Lodge’s profile, energize the membership, encourage former members to return to the fold, and gain the notice of people who want to be part of an organization that’s doing great things. To learn more about the Community Investments Program, please visit elks.org/CIP.



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