Elk Present $10,000 Grant
The Elks National Foundation has awarded our Lodge with a $10,000 Impact Grant for our new community outreach program to supply uniforms to the underprivileged children at Vero Beach Elementary School and to support the new program, “Elks Love Kids of Character.” With the guidance of PER Bob Carroll, our Grants expert, Michele Klager proposed to the Lodge Trustees that she write an Impact Grant request to help the Lodge create a program that would be more hands on for our members and to help the Vero Beach Elementary School.
At a meeting at the school last year with their Homeless Family Liaison Margaret Hearndon and Principal Ainsley Seeley, Michele learned that there are approximately 100 homeless children going to Vero Beach Elementary; and that means many parents are struggling. Michele realized that if Lodge #1774 could help make their lives a little easier by providing uniforms and sneakers for their children that would help relieve some of the financial burden. Michele told school management that “the Elks want to help the children to take pride in how they look and to concentrate on their studies.”
The Grant will also supply the Vero Beach Elementary School with school supplies and incentives for the “Elks Love Kids of Character” store. Students will be able to earn Wampum by doing one of the 6 Pillars of Character – Trustworthiness, Respect, Fairness, Caring, Citizenship, and Responsibility and then be able to spend their wampum at the school supply store. The store will be stocked and run by Lodge volunteers as part of our community outreach initiative. “We are excited to be chosen by The Elks National Foundation to have a winning grant but even more excited to be able to participate in giving to the local community” reported Michele at the Nov 4 Lodge Meeting.
Out of the 2000 Elk Lodges across the country only 53 were awarded the $10,000 Impact Grant and 3 were in Florida. Congratulations to all!
If you would like to be part of this effort please contact Michele Klager at mklager@bellsouth.net.
