Elks National Foundation Blog

Weehawken, N.J., Lodge No. 1456 Weehawken, N.J. is a more beautiful place thanks to the Elks! Using an Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant , Weehawken, N.J., Lodge No. 1456 partnered with local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, a teen peer leadership group, and other high school students to plant a garden surrounding Weehawken Town Hall. The students gave this project two green thumbs up! They enjoyed digging in the dirt, and working alongside other local youth and the Elks. To keep the plants and their new friendships thriving, the Elks plan to tend to the community garden year-round. “The Lodge furthered its status in the community by working with youth on this visible project,” says Project Manager Thomas Rovito. “We plan to plant more next year, and cultivate this project for years to come.” Does your Lodge want to be featured on the ENF blog or other ENF pages? Simply submit fabulous Final Report Forms! Include project successes, feedback from the Lodge and community, and ...

Virginia Beach, Va., Lodge No. 2268 Members of Virginia Beach, Va., Lodge No. 2268 aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty for a good cause. In partnership with a local Boy Scout Troop, the Lodge used an Elks National Foundation Promise Grant to refurbish a remembrance garden at the Edmarc Hospice for Children. Elks and scouts worked side-by-side, raking, mulching, and planting flowers to create a beautiful outdoor garden space that patients can enjoy. The Lodge also entered pictures from the project—just like the one above—in last year’s Community Investments Program photo contest. It’s that time of year again! The 2012-13 CIP photo contest is happening now. If your Lodge has great pictures of Elks using CIP grants in the community, submit them to the ENF. You could win a brand-new digital camera! Click here for complete contest details. Don’t delay! Submissions are due by March 31. The Elks National Foundation awards $2,000 Promise Grants to the first 500 Lodges that pledge to...

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...