East Central District

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Written by Merritt Island Elks

Merritt Island Elks Lodge #2650 has supported Emma Jewel Charter School for the past five years. For parents, children and educators, these schools provide a valuable alternative to the conventional public school system and avoid much of the red tape that comes with it. They allow schools to innovate with new education approaches while largely remaining accountable to the same academic standards to which public schools are held. Merritt Island Lodge received an Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant and Anniversary Grant and then asked the counselors at Emma Jewel what their students needed most. Once again, 35 kids whose parents could not afford them needed new school uniforms. The grant checks were presented to the school administration who then ordered and received the uniforms. On Jan. 24, Wendy Watters, Kermit Forbes, Robin Gammill and Bill Hazelett Sr. went to the school to hand out new uniforms to the students. They were surprised beyond belief and started jumping and singing!

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Written by Denise Bell

On Jan. 19, Gifts of Love, the local distribution center of Second Harvest for the Edgewater-New Smyrna Beach area, received two truckloads of food. Last year, Second Harvest provided nearly 58 million meals to families, children and seniors in central Florida. Their distribution and community partners make it possible for them to get food to people who need it the most. Edgewater-New Smyrna Beach Elks Lodge #1557 is one of these partners with Gifts of Love and many lodge members volunteer on Tuesdays and Thursdays to distribute food to those in need. On Jan. 19, lodge members helped unload and distribute this unscheduled food delivery to families of U.S. Coast Guard members located in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., who needed food assistance during the government shutdown.

Edgewater-New Smyrna Beach Elk volunteer Barbara Meeks helps open and sort pallets of food for distribution to families of U.S. Coast Guard members during the government shutdown.

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Written by Port Orange Elks

Linda Lee, Exalted Ruler of Port Orange Elks Lodge #2723, and PER Larry Lewis deliver school supplies donated by lodge members to Port Orange Elementary School Jan. 14.

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Written by Merritt Island Elks

Santa’s Boot Strap is a program that provides families with enough food to last them for a week or more. This is the 12th year that Merritt Island Lodge has participated in this event. The lodge purchases the food, packages it and delivers it to the families in need. This year, food was provided for 75 families totaling 302 people. Lodge Chairman, Marleen Kovalchik, organized this function with the help of numerous volunteers including the lodge Antlers youth group.

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Written by Merritt Island Elks

On Dec. 9, Merritt Island Lodge helped sponsor the country Christmas party at Kiwanis Island Park on Merritt Island. For two decades, the lodge has supplied all the food, drinks and desserts for this party. As he has for many years, PDD John Lesko helped organize the lodge’s participation in this event. This party is for all people in the community who are disabled. The Elk Cowpokes hauled supplies to and from the party, set up, cooked, served and cleaned up. Santa made an appearance and gave the guests a Christmas party to remember.