Stuart-Jensen Elks Lodge #1870 participated in Elev8hope’s Thanksgiving basket food drive. Elev8hope is a nonprofit organization in Stuart, Florida, that provides support and hope to struggling families with children. They work with local school social workers and the Martin County Sheriff's Office to find families in need of help. Using the $2,500 Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant and $1,500 from the Elks National Foundation Spotlight Grant, the lodge purchased more than 150 turkeys for the baskets. They also used $500 from the Spotlight Grant to purchase nonperishable items to fill 48 baskets, which they delivered to Elev8hope. The lodge also participated in the distribution day Nov. 17, where the turkeys and the 5,600 baskets that community members made up were loaded and then delivered by the Martin County Sheriff's Office to the families in need. 

Pictured at the check presentation Oct. 21 at Elev8hope are Suzi Simonelli, PSP; Rinamarie Shpiruk, Elev8hope founder; Bob Alphonse, Exalted Ruler; Barbara Hartrick, PER; Alice Hurd, Lodge Treasurer; and Jackie Pearson, Lodge Secretary. The first responders in the back are from the Martin County Sheriff's Office and were there for their weekly meeting with Rina Shpiruk. Also pictured at the distribution day Nov. 17 are Barb Hartrick, PER and Suzi Simonelli, PSP helping to load some of the baskets and Suzi Simonelli, PSP; Barb Hartrick, PER; and Alice Hurd with some of the turkeys.