Farmington Elks award grants to local non-profits
All photos submitted
The Farmington Elks Lodge recently awarded grants to three local non-profit organizations — The Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry, Camp Valor and the Southeast Missouri Family Violence Council.
Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry
The Farmington Elks Lodge presented a $2,000 cash donation to the Farmington Ministerial Alliance.
The Spotlight Grant is awarded from the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) Elks National Foundation program. Nancy Faulkner (Director of Benevolence) met with Elk leadership to receive the donation.
Exalted Ruler Keith Huck said, “Our Farmington Elks has supported the Ministerial Alliance for several years through cash and other donations. Their commitment to help feed our community is inspirational and we are blessed to partner with the organization.”
The Elks know that inflation and unemployment have put additional pressure on local families and increased the need for food pantry assistance.
Camp Valor
The Farmington Elks Lodge continues its long-standing commitment to support our veterans by presenting Camp Valor with a donation of $1,000 to help with their programs.
Camp Valor provides an outdoor recreation facility to give disabled Veterans a place to meet with fellow vets. The organization hosts competitive shoots and fishing but most importantly gives veteran service members a place for therapeutic retreat.
More information may be found at https://www.campvaloroutdoors.org. This Gratitude Grant is awarded from the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) Elks National Foundation program. Becky Bullock and Dave Oder were on hand to receive the contribution from the Farmington Elks.
Also, the Farmington Elks will be serving area nursing home veterans through the “Sweats for Vets” program that provides comfy clothing over the holidays. This is in addition to the monthly pizza and sandwich visits that the Elks are honored to provide.
U.S. Navy veteran Richard Craft has been chairperson over the Farmington Lodge Veterans Support Committee for several years and lives by the Elk’s motto: “So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them.”
“Throughout the year, we find ways to recognize and honor our vets,” Craft said. “We collect deer hides during hunting season that are used for leather kits and wheelchair gloves for veterans.”
An Elks historian, Craft said, “In 1918, the Elks built a 700-bed hospital for wounded veterans and gave it to the U.S. government. This evolved into the VA Medical System that still serves vets today.”
Note: Hunters can drop off their deer hides behind the Farmington Lodge in the marked cooler. The Elks collect hides during any deer season and send them for processing to create the veteran leather supplies.
Southeast Missouri Family Violence Council
The Farmington Elks Lodge presented a $4,000 donation to the Southeast Missouri Family Violence Council (SEMFVC). The Beacon Grant is awarded from the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) Elks National Foundation program.
This is the second year that the local Elks have supported this organization. Last year, the Farmington Lodge provided toiletries and a financial donation to SEMFVC to assist with crisis needs. After hearing from some of the administrators and clients, the Farmington Elks felt compelled to help again. “Our previous donation made such a positive impact for the women and children needing these services that we knew we had to do more” stated Keith Huck, Exalted Ruler. “One of our mottos is ‘Elks Care- Elks Share’ and there is no better example than our Lodge stepping up to help this organization,” said Huck.
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is a leader in philanthropy and patriotic service across our great nation. The fraternal organization is comprised of almost 1.2 members in more than 2000 communities in the United States.
The Farmington Elks Lodge has been part of Farmington for 74 years and has more than 1,100 members committed to Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love, and Fidelity. The lodge has donated more than $2,500,000 in charitable contributions since 2016.
Ministerial Alliance
Pictured left to right: Bob Satterthwaite, past exalted ruler; Richard Craft, past exalted ruler; Exalted Ruler Keith Huck, Nancy Faulkner, Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry director; Jerry Weems and Jeff Burnette, past exalted ruler.
Camp Valor
Pictured left to right: Lance Strickland, Becky Bullock, Richard Craft, past exalted ruler; Dave Oder, Exalted Ruler Keith Huck, Jerry Weems, Bob Satterthwaite, past exalted ruler and Jeff Burnette, past exalted ruler.
Southeast Missouri Family Violence Council
Stephanie Bennett and Tracy Carroll are pictured with Farmington Elks leaders who are presenting the contribution.
