The Veterans Restoration Quarters (VRQ), run by the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry, had capacity for 250 veterans experiencing homelessness before the storm. When Helene arrived, the VRQ had a full house—250 veterans, along with staff, had to be evacuated by the National Guard when the facility flooded.
Asheville, N.C., Lodge No. 608 is a long-time partner of the VRQ. Since 2017, the Lodge has used most of its CIP grants to support veterans staying at the facility. Through many meals and distributions of essential supplies, such as clothing and hygiene items, the Lodge developed a close relationship with both the veteran residents and staff providing services to them.
So, it’s no wonder that in the aftermath of the storm, the Elks leapt at the chance to support displaced veterans.
After evacuating the former facility, veterans were housed at a motel across the street from the VRQ. This temporary solution became permanent when the Ministry purchased the building and began implementing plans to turn it into a new veteran housing facility. The Asheville Lodge received a Spotlight Grant to help make these plans a reality.
Under the Spotlight Grant, Adopt-a-Haven projects fund partnerships with emergency shelters and transitional housing facilities for veterans. The Asheville Lodge used its grant to help to outfit the former motel with a library and computer room.
Elks were very hands-on in the process—the Lodge counts several carpenters and a building contractor among its members, all of whom volunteered their time to get the job done.
And what a job it was. The project began by removing a Jacuzzi, carpet, baseboards and a large mirror. Elks redid the Jacuzzi’s plumbing and replaced damaged parts of the flooring. Volunteers installed drywall, flooring, shelving and overhead lighting. As a finishing touch, the group attached bookshelves to the walls with space to hold about 700 books.
“Members who are in the building industry, along with other members who ‘just like demolition,’ made this project happen,” says Grants Coordinator Doris Crawley, herself a retired contractor. “We pulled in family members who had electrical and plumbing experience to also help.”
The new facility will be known as Veterans Village, and the organization hopes to offer 134 permanent supportive housing and affordable housing units. The permanence of these units will augment the units available across the street at the VRQ, which is a temporary and transitional facility.
The VRQ facility is back in operation, albeit with fewer beds available for veterans than before the storm. Efforts continue to return the facility to its pre-Helene capacity.
What remains the same is the support offered by the Asheville Lodge. Again this year, it received a Beacon Grant to provide a series of meals for the residents. As important as the physical support they offer the VRQ, Elks are a stable presence amid uncertainty and hardship for the veterans that live there.
“Over the course of five weeks, we met and talked with numerous veterans. It was heartwarming and sometimes sad to hear their stories,” says Crawley. “It was a pleasure to be a small part in helping our veterans get a second chance at life.”
Your Lodge can also use its CIP grants to make a difference in the lives of veterans in your community. Check out 20 Project Ideas for Serving Veterans for inspiration, and apply for a Beacon, Gratitude Grant, or Spotlight Grant to make it a reality.
For 2025-26, the Elks National Foundation allocated $18 million to the Community Investments Program. Lodges meet local needs through CIP grants that offer Elks opportunities to serve their community in ways that raise the Lodge's profile, energize 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. To speak to CIP office staff, call 773/755-4730.