Here are some of the ways in which our Lodge has provided support to local community, our military and veterans.
Indian River School District
In 2018 we collaborated with Sebastian Lodge to donate one “Stop The Bleed Kit” for every school in the Indian River School District. In 2019, our Lodge donated another 29 “Stop The Bleed Kits,” one per school in the Indian River School District. These kits allow bystanders to become equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.
Grand Lodge awarded our Lodge 1st Place in Division 4 (701-1100 members) for the 2019-2020 Lodge Community Project Contest.
Backpacks and Back-to-School Supplies for Needy Students
Each year in July we conduct a drive to donate backpacks and school supplies for needy students in Indian River County (IRC). At our “Backpack to School” drive in 2021 we donated over 125 backpacks filled with school supplies. We have contacts at several schools that assist us in identifying students in need. We also participated with the IRC Sheriff’s Department and Vero Beach Police Department with their joint teamwork to collect school items for needy children. Pictured here is First Gent Art Short and Exalted Ruler Darlene Short delivering backpacks to the IRC Sheriff’s team.
United Against Poverty
United Against Poverty Indian River County is dedicated to helping lift up the lives of local families in need through their various enrichment programs and services. We were awarded a $2,000 grant from the Elks National Foundation to be used to assist our community with the response to the COVID-19 virus by donating the proceeds to a local charity that will assist residents during the crisis. For the past two Christmas seasons our Lodge held successful food drives for United Against Poverty. We continuing our support to them during this crisis.
Girl Scout Cookies For Military Program
Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida has teamed up with Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, Operation Homefront and Soldiers Angels to make sure that Girl Scout Cookies are part of every care package they send. The Girl Scouts Cookies for Military program, brought to us by member Fred Kiesel and spouse Michele who are spearheading our efforts, has collected $2,350 in donations from our members. The Lodge Charity Fund matched these donations. We presented a check for $4,700 to the Girls Scouts of Southeast Florida.
Our members donate a single box for $5, a case for $60 or 20 boxes for $100. The Lodge Charity Fund matches all donations made by our members. Read More.
Operation Paperback
We are partnering with the Navy League of the Treasure Coast to provide paperbacks to our servicemen and women and those patients at VA hospitals.
Favorite reading subjects are: biographies and history, particularly military history. Members donate two ways: bring paperback books to the Lodge lobby in the patriotic-looking box; or, if there have many books, Franci and Al Glatz will pick up the books at your home. They can be reached at 772-492-9652.
Our collection box is in the foyer Many thanks to our members for exemplifying our motto: Elks Care…Elks Share.
Sunday Strong
Their mission is to increase physical activity in people with intellectual disabilities (ID) who are 16-years of age and older by supporting fitness providers as they host weekly group exercise classes at no cost to their members. This group picture shows Lodge members Rich Miller, PER and Paul Diaz, PER presenting check to purchase workout t-shirts which they are proudly wearing.
Hope For Families Center
This organization is the source of safety and security when the Treasure Coast’s most vulnerable residents find themselves without shelter. They serve as the catalyst to get families back on their feet and provide the structure, education and resources to not only keep families safe today but to have the ability to provide for themselves for the long term. The lodge recently conducted a five-week Holiday Food Drive and delivered a pickup truck full of goodies.
Pictured here is Lodge member Richard Bergeron making a delivery to the Hope for Families Center.
Hibiscus Children’s Center
The Vero Beach facility of this organization provides safe nights of care to abused and at-risk teens and have helped hundreds of families in crisis. Besides providing funding from an Elks National Foundation grant for their Positive Behavior Store, we respond to urgent requests for items needed by the residents.
Pictured here is then Exalted Ruler Richard Miller delivering headphones that the residents needed to attend virtual classroom instruction during the COVID pandemic.
On another occasion we responded to another urgent appeal to provided Christmas gifts for the residents as their normal fund-raising efforts were drastically reduced during the pandemic.
American Gold Star Mothers of Indian River County
The president of this organization, Michelle Dale, is a member of our Lodge. We are high-level sponsor at their annual Walk-A-Thon for Military Suicide Awareness. In March of 2022 our Lodge is providing the Indian River Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America with our Ballroom at a substantial discount for a fundraiser for the Gold Star Mothers with the same objective: the raise awareness to the 22 military and veteran suicides daily.
Youth Sports
With several baseball fields adjacent to our Lodge we have provided funds to sponsor not only youth league baseball but basketball teams as well.
We have funded the construction of a T-ball field to be named after the Lodge.
Vero Beach High School Band
When this group needed funds to support a trip to march in the New Years Day parade in London, England our lodge helped in several ways. We became a major sponsor for their a Golf Tournament to benefit the trip and we provided our Ballroom and kitchen for a Spaghetti Dinner to raise funds for the trip.
Little Birthday Angels
This organization celebrates one birthday at a time for many homeless children living in our community. Pictured here is the Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant presentation prior to a Lodge meeting. Grant writer Flo Synenko is on the left and Exalted Ruler Darlene Short is on the right.
SAFIR Coalition
Substance Abuse Free Indian River Coalition’s mission is to reduce the use of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs by Indian River County youth through education, support, collaboration, and action. We partner with them by providing our facility for meetings and training sessions as well as fund raisers such as BINGO where we operated the game using our equipment.
Rosewood Magnet School
We provide the use of our Ballroom and kitchen for the school to do their annual fundraiser. Lodge member Chris Ferrari runs the event.
Blood Drive
In April, 2021 we held a Blood Drive at our Lodge parking lot. Pictured here are our four members who staffed the Open House held for blood donors.
Dogs For Life
