Elks National Foundation Blog

By Programs Relationship Associate Anne Shields This past week, I had the opportunity to visit a 2011 ENF Cornerstone Grant project in Milwaukee, Wis. Elks scholar alum Karlye Rodriguez-Wisdom received a $500 ENF Cornerstone Grant to create an urban garden, called the Cream City Gardens, at the Guest House Homeless Shelter. Now, a few months later, the garden is providing healthy, nutritious food to the residents of the shelter and Karlye is teaching them how to care for the plants. Ever since Karlye received the Cornerstone Grant this spring, I have been eager to see the project come to life. So I was thrilled when Karlye invited the ENF and the Milwaukee Elks to a Harvest Party to celebrate a successful season of gardening. Steve Vitale, a member of the Milwaukee, Wis., Lodge No. 46, joined me at the event where we got to see the Cream City Gardens in action. When I first laid eyes on 30 garden beds, it was clear how much hard work went into transforming a vacant lot in downtow

Duarte, Calif., Lodge No. 1427 Thanks to an ENF Impact Grant, Elks at Duarte, Calif., Lodge No. 1427 partner with the Community Service Council to provide bikes and helmets to kids in need, along with free classes on bike safety and repair. Elks also helped start a program in which older kids teach younger kids how to ride and care for their bikes. Sounds like Elks have this project really rolling. The ENF awards Impact Grants to help Lodges significantly address unmet needs in Elks communities. Impact Grants are competitive grants worth up to $10,000 and are open to all Lodges. To find out more about Impact Grants, visit www.elks.org/enf/community .

Back to School with Westchester, Calif., Lodge No. 2050 Westchester, Calif., Lodge No. 2050 used its Gratitude Grant to send local students to the East Coast, and back in time . Lodge members, several of whom teach at the school, were happy to send these middle school students on a trip to Washington D.C. to learn about our government. The ENF awards $2,000 Gratitude Grants to Lodges to directly address local needs. Lodges are eligible to apply for Gratitude Grants after meeting the GER’s per-capita goal. To find out more about Gratitude Grants, visit www.elks.org/enf/community .