Elks National Foundation Blog

 by Senior Programs Associate Colleen Muszynski The CIP office, and the world, has lost a kind, selfless champion. Sharon Kolkhorst, member of Coos Bay, Ore., Lodge No. 1160 and Weekend Share Bear Snack Packs program project manager, passed away last week. With Sharon at the helm, Coos Bay was one of the first Lodges to receive a $10,000 Impact Grant for their Weekend Share Bear Snack Packs program when the grant was introduced in 2008. Sharon’s commitment to and passion for the program has continued since—in 2017, the Lodge was awarded its ninth consecutive Impact Grant. Only one other Lodge from the original Impact Grant class can say the same. In fact, Sharon and her husband Lou have helped the Lodge secure more than $115,000 in CIP grants since 2006. However, life is about more than money. It’s about creating lasting relationships and leaving your community better than you found it. Sharon did just that. I had the pleasure of meeting Sharon and Lou on an Impact Gran...

by Alexa Vaghenas 2016 Most Valuable Student Scholar, Yale University College students often become enclosed in a sort of "bubble" over the course of four years, wrapped up in their studies and social lives, preoccupied by extracurricular activities and on-campus events. Although this can lead to individual growth, unforgettable experiences, and admirable accomplishment, too often we forget about the greater community around us. On Friday November 18, I volunteered at the New Haven Sunrise Cafe for Elks Scholar Service Days. A freshman at Yale University, I knew it was time to pop the "Yale Bubble" and give back to the small city of New Haven; my new home. As a Sunrise Cafe volunteer, I was tasked with serving breakfast to the homeless. Shifting my sleep schedule a bit to get up at 6:45 on a Friday morning, I walked several blocks to the basement of St. Paul and St. James Episcopal Church and followed the cheery logo of the Sunrise Cafe. In the kitche...

By ENF Programs Assistant Jocelyn Moya Happy New Year! Well, sort of. The ENF closed the 2014-15 fiscal year on March 31, but lucky for you there’s still time left in the grant year. In fact, there are plenty of Gratitude Grants available, to Lodges that reached the per capita goal, to apply for by May 31. I’ve had many Lodge members tell me they’d like to apply for a grant but due to the time of year and project deadlines they have difficulty thinking of a project. As you know, the Community Investments Program is all about using the resources and relationships that already exist to benefit the community so what better resource to maximize than that of the four seasons. One simple project your Lodge can easily start is a community garden. Community gardens are a fantastic way to meet the needs of the surrounding community and teach youth about the benefits of local food and healthy eating. The best part of starting a community garden is that it is versatile. Your Lodge ca...

 by Youth Programs Associate Colleen Muszynski When your boss asks in the middle of yet another brutal Chicago winter if you’d be interested in traveling to Oregon, the only acceptable answer is YES, YES, A MILLION TIMES YES! It didn’t take much convincing to get me on a plane to Portland. I was ecstatic to be on my way to visit the Coos Bay Lodge No. 1160 Impact Grant project and the Northwest Region 1 Hoop Shoot contest. You’ve already heard from my co-worker Mary Morgan about the front end of our trip to the Northwest, so I’ll pick up where she left off.  Elks (animals) looking good! The Elks (people) in Coos Bay recommended we check out the elks (animals) in Reedsport on our drive back to Portland. Living in a city like Chicago, where the wildest animal I’ve ever seen is a stray cat, I was skeptical that we’d even get a chance to see any real live elks. Sure enough, not even a half-hour into our drive, Mary and I pulled off Highway 38 to see about a dozen huge e...

 by Senior Programs Associate Mary Morgan Elks National Foundation Programs Associate Colleen Muszynski and I recently had the chance to visit with some Elks on the West Coast. Here’s a recap of Part 1 of our trip. Enjoying a sunny lunch in Portland! As Colleen and I flew out of Chicago early on a Thursday morning, I dreamed of fresh mountain air, sunshine and temperatures above 15 degrees. I was not disappointed, as we lucked into a warm and sunny Oregon weekend. Locals kept insisting that the weather was like this all the time, but something about the way they said it left me suspicious of their claim.  We landed in Portland, and immediately shook off our winter coats. We picked up a rental car at the airport and cruised into the city for lunch. We enjoyed sandwiches on the patio, stopped in Powell’s Books for some reading material and wandered in the sunshine for a bit. Then, with sustenance for our bodies and minds, we began our journey to Coos Bay, Oregon. ...