Elks National Foundation Blog

by Jim O'Kelley, Director Elks National Foundation Last month, for the second straight month, we put the Elks Veterans Memorial to good use serving homeless veterans. Back in November, we ran a neighborhood clothing drive right out of the Rotunda. This time around, we hosted various stakeholders in Chicago's fight to end veteran homelessness for dinner and discussion in the Grand Reception Room. The event drew some heavy hitters. Guests included representatives from Senator Dick Durbin's office, the mayor's office, two of the three VA medical centers serving the metropolitan area, and three area non-profits. The Elks were well represented as well, of course. Grand Secretary Bryan Klatt was there, as were Past National President Paul Helsel, a member of the Elks National Veterans Service Commission, and Mary Morgan, the director of the Commission. Paul Helsel talks about what the Elks can contribute to the effort. (That's me in the foreground at left, list...

by Chelsea Dennis Programs Assistant I don’t know about you, but the last few months of 2015 have been a whirlwind for me! On September 7th I ended my last day as an AmeriCorps member and started my first course in graduate school that same evening. A week later I found out that I was hired by the Elks National Foundation! Honestly it's been a lot to take in at once, but luckily the holidays have served as a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the past few months. Now that I’m settled into my new role as a Programs Assistant in the Community Investment Programs office, I finally feel like I have a grasp on things. Before moving to Chicago and ultimately working at the ENF, I served as a corps member with City Year Washington, DC (CYDC), a nonprofit that works to combat the drop out crisis. In my role as a corps member I taught English/Language Arts and Mathematics to 5th grade students at risk of falling off track and organized events such as AttenDances to get students ex...

by Maryann Slater Programs Relationship Associate   Elks scholars now have the opportunity to come together in service with their Elks scholar peers. These trips will offer the opportunity to learn about societal issues, serve those in need in the name of the Elks, and the chance for Elks scholars and Elks to connect with their Elks Family across the country. To read more posts about the service trips, click here .  12 #ElksFamily T-Shirts Justin Schulberg, 2013 MVS scholar from Rutgers University shows off his  Winter Trip T-Shirt. - A staple of any Elks Scholar Service Trip, you can find these snazzy shirts that read “We Are #ElksFamily” on all of the Elks scholars throughout the week of a trip. 11 Cell Phones Resting - The Elks Scholar Service Trips allow for students to become “unplugged” for the week during service and activities which allow them to take a rest from their studies and take advantage of new experiences and opportunities. Take it from ...

by Kate Keating Edsey, Development Manager Elks National Foundation 2015 marks my eighth Elks National Foundation holiday season--and my eighth stint as an ENF caroler. I’m not a singer, as anyone who has heard me will attest, but I enjoy Jim O’Kelley’s annual tradition of the ENF staff coming together on the morning of our staff holiday party to delight the Elks headquarters staff with our tunes. Five years ago some of our staff put together a caroling video to share with friends of the Foundation--some practice, some chaos, and borrowed construction lights from the Elks Veterans Memorial resulted in this masterpiece. This year, the ENF carolers are again featured on a video, and also the December Midday podcast . For those of you who aren’t Middies, Midday is now recorded and produced with the help of our new friends at Tribeca Flashpoint College in Chicago’s Loop. We packed up most of our carolers and headed downtown with excitement to meet the professionals and students...

By 2015 Most Valuable Student Scholarship Recipient and Elks Scholar Advisory Board Member Jessica Carter As my first quarter comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on all of the amazing experiences I’ve had at Northwestern so far. Now that I am more familiar with campus, I’ve compiled a list of the things that NU students, and Elks scholars across the country, will need in the coming quarters. Things I’m sure you will find on all Wildcats’ Christmas lists. 1. A camera to capture all of the memories you’ll want to remember forever. One of my favorite things about NU is that there is ALWAYS something to do. The best event this past quarter was the Residential College Formal. My friends and I got all dressed up and went to Navy Pier for a night of dancing and amazing food (truffle mac and cheese and jumbo crab cakes were on the menu so amazing might be an understatement). My friend, Christopher,  and me at the RCB Formal 2. Spirit wear to show off your purple pri...