Merritt Island Elks Lodge #2650 applied for and received an Elks National Foundation Focus Grant for $7,210 to make a difference for local veterans. Part of the grant money was used to With these funds, the food pantry in the Volunteers of America (VOA) building for the Veterans Transition Center in Cocoa, Florida, was expanded. This was done by Kermit Forbes, PER; John Welch and Gabriel Ensell, VOA directors and new lodge members; and Kim Johnson, PER. More refrigerators were moved into the area to provide perishable food and extra shelving was built so the pantry could carry more nonperishable food items. With the completion of this phase, Forbes is working on stocking the pantry. The second part of this grant is being used to help veterans living on the street. The lodge purchased 20 backpacks that will be stocked with face masks, hand sanitizer, socks, personal care items, hand towels, washcloths, an Ozark 11-in-1 camping tool, can openers and toilet paper. Food items will also be included. Before giving out these backpacks, the lodge wanted to let the veterans know who provided the backpacks and where they can go to refill their bags. Member Sue Hanson is a wizard with a sewing machine and created and added the Elks emblem and instructions on each bag to return to the VOA building to refill the backpacks.

Pictured working in the pantry Sept. 22 are Welch, Ensell and Forbes.

A close-up of a backpack with Hanson’s sewing

Kim Johnson, PER (left) and Kermit Forbes, PER (right), giving backpack serial number 001 to Clyde Smith Sept. 30.