Elks National Foundation Blog

Marcee Northey Donor Services Manager How long have you worked at the ENF? I have worked at the ENF for just over seven years. What projects are you/your department working on right now? The Donor Services department is gearing up for the end of our fiscal year, which is just around the corner. What’s your favorite part of working at the ENF? My favorite part of my work with the ENF by far is speaking with Elks across the country. I love solving problems and speaking with them about what great things they are doing in their communities. I also really enjoy working with the Donor Services team . We work really hard but also enjoy our jobs.   Describe your average day at the ENF. We say in the DS department that there is no average day, but we do have average weeks. As I mentioned earlier, communicating with Elks is part of that but also processing donations , updating records and reports, responding to requests, assisting the team with questions, and meeting wit...

Fountain Hills, Ariz., Lodge No. 2846   Veterans in need living in Fountain Hills, Ariz. know they can count on the Elks for support. Using an Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant , Fountain Hills, Ariz., Lodge No. 2846 partnered with local VA hospitals to purchase and deliver household items, books, magazines and movies to veteran residents. To let active military members know they have the support of the Elks at home and overseas, the Fountain Hills Elks also prepared gifts for those serving in Afghanistan. Thanks to the Gratitude Grant, the Lodge gained seven new members and showed the community that the Elks are there for veterans in need. “This project furthered our image as a force for positive change in the community,” says Community Investments Program Project Manager Max Love. “We are seen as an organization that can be counted on to support veterans and our military.” Don’t miss the opportunity to serve your community with $2,000! Gratitude Grants, whic...

Lake Sammamish, Wash., Lodge No. 1843 From Sochi to Washington, the world is focused on winter sports and Elks from Lake Sammamish, Wash., Lodge No. 1843 are going for the gold! Using an Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant , the Lodge partnered with the Cascade Snow Drifters Snowmobile Club to take local Wounded Warrior veterans on a snowmobiling trip through the mountains. To warm up after the trip, Elks invited the vets to the Lodge for an evening of food and fellowship. Thanks to the Beacon Grant, the community is rooting for Team Elks! “Our partnership with the Cascade Drifters has grown thanks to the Beacon Grant,” says Community Investments Program Project Manager Erica Sargeant. “Our Lodge plans to continue this project on a yearly basis.” Don’t miss the opportunity to serve your community with $2,000! Beacon Grants, available to every Lodge, help Lodges like Lake Sammamish hold ongoing, Elks-led charitable projects. Don’t wait! Applications for 2013-14 Beacon Grants ...

By Most Valuable Student Scholar Matthew Ramos My name is Matthew J. Ramos and I am a 2013 ENF Most Valuable Student recipient. While home for the holidays I assisted my sponsoring Elks Lodge—Carmichael, Calif., Lodge No. 2103—with its annual holiday basket event. On the morning of December 22, I arrived at the Lodge at 8 a.m. eager and willing to help put together boxes of food that would distributed to families within our community. I meet with Mr. Murray, the Project Coordinator, and he introduced me to several of the other Elks and gave me an overview of the process. It was like a fine-tuned machine. There were rows of boxes on tables, and stacks of flour, sugar, canned goods and fresh produce all around the sides of the room. We had carts to carry the items to the boxes and each box was labeled with the number of adults and children in the family. We got busy and filled more than 125 boxes in less than two hours. When the individuals and families arrived, they were signed...

Sandy Supancic Office Assistant Sandy's afternoon project--scanning checks from today's mail! How long have you worked at the ENF? I have been at the Foundation for 33 years and 5 months. I am hoping to hold the record for the longest employee here. What projects are you/your department working on right now? At this time of the year, we are working on posting the donations to our donors’ accounts. As everyone knows, the end of the fiscal year is approaching quickly. I balance the mail, scan the checks, stamp them, and make sure all is ready to be worked on by the Donor Services Department. I also order all office supplies for the office, do address changes and Lodge transfers, and help out where it’s needed. What’s your favorite part of working at the ENF? I enjoy working with volunteers, donors and my co-workers. Being here as long as I have, I know the good the Foundation does. I’ve been on the working side and the Elks side. My nephew was a Lodge Hoop Sh...

Coshocton, Ohio, Lodge No. 376   For the Elks in Coshocton, Ohio, family safety is a number one priority. Using an Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant , Coshocton, Ohio, Lodge No. 376 partnered with the local fire department to provide smoke detectors and home safety tips for families without smoke detectors in their homes. “Coshocton has many families in need,” says Community Investments Program Project Manager Marilyn Griffis. “We were able to give supplies and support to community members whose homes lacked smoke detectors.” The Beacon Grant project raised the Lodge’s profile in the community, motivating some of the local firefighters to join the Lodge. “The fire department was overjoyed to help with this event,” says Griffis. “The community got to see how the Elks are interested in helping those in need.” Don’t miss the opportunity to serve your community with $2,000! Beacon Grants, available to every Lodge, help Lodges like Coshocton hold ongoing, Elks-led chari...

Van Wert, Ohio, Lodge No. 1197 Up, up and away! Using an Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant , Elks from Van Wert, Ohio, Lodge No. 1197 partnered with the Van Wert hospital, local senior homes, local support groups for people with disabilities, and the Van Wert Regional Airport to provide hot air balloon rides for community members with special needs. The Elks stayed grounded, helping riders in and out of the wheelchair accessible balloon and offering food and friendship to guests. Thanks to the Beacon Grant, the Elks were able to connect with local organizations and give community members in need an uplifting, memorable experience. “This is my first time in a balloon,” says local nursing home resident Rita Clapp. “My whole family came to watch!” Through Beacon Grants, the Elks National Foundation gives Lodges the opportunity to develop an ongoing, charitable, Elks-driven community project. These $2,000 grants are available to all Lodges. To find out more about Beacon Grant...

by 2010 Most Valuable Student scholar and Elks Scholar Advisory Board member Macy Warburton Macy Warburton , an at-large representative on the Elks Scholar Advisory Board , reflects upon her recent graduation from Kansas State University, and what the Elks have meant to her throughout her college career. Looking back a few years, I can clearly remember receiving the notice that I had been awarded a Most Valuable Student scholarship. Now, as a recent graduate of Kansas State University, I am able to look back to my college graduation and remember the time that I was awarded my undergraduate degree. Where has the time gone? The moment I walked across the stage at graduation to receive my diploma was a moment that came with many emotions. I often have heard stories of people’s lives flashing before their eyes, and to be honest, graduation was a lot like that. In an instant, numerous college memories came to mind—from all the exams I had taken to all the people I had grown close ...

Cedar City, Utah, Lodge No. 1556   Youth in Cedar City, Utah can see clearly now thanks to the Elks. Using an Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant , Cedar City, Utah, Lodge No. 1556 partnered with Southern Utah Vision, local schools, and a local eye doctor to start Code Glasses, providing eye care for youth in need. After Elks performed preliminary eye exams at the Lodge, they took families to the local eye doctor for a follow-up exam and ensured every child in need of glasses received a pair. “Thank you, Elks Lodge. Now I can see the world much brighter,” reads a note from Zandihr, who benefitted from Code Glasses. Thanks to the Beacon Grant, the Cedar City Elks provided support and a healthy start for youth in need. The project also reenergized Lodge members, motivating them to get involved with the Lodge’s community service. “This project was a success,” says Community Investments Program Project Manager JoAnn Aldridge. “Even members that aren’t involved in the L...

By 2013 Most Valuable Student scholar and Elks Scholar Advisory Board member Nate Baker  Nate Baker, 2013 MVS scholar sponsored by Tyrone, Pa., Lodge No. 212, is the freshman representative on the Elks Scholar Advisory Board and new to college life. Throughout his first year of college, we’ll be following Nate through monthly blog posts . Check back each month to see what new adventures Nate encounters during this first year at Cornell! Finals are done, grades are in, and the semester is over. If you've been keeping up with me, my extracurricular endeavors, sports, two jobs, social life, and, oh yeah, that Cornell curriculum have been keeping me more than busy. Coming home was bittersweet. I said goodbye to all the incredible experiences and opportunities up on the hill, but welcomed my family, girlfriend, my new kitten, old friends, and the Christmas season back into my life. So, for my last post of 2013, I thought I'd leave readers with something a bit lighter. Wit...