South Miami/Coral Gables Elks Lodge #1676, along with Miami Lodge #948 and Florida Keys Lodge #1872, collaborated to collect more than $60,000 in furniture, dishes and small appliances to for veterans living at Modern Towers, an apartment complex that provides permanent housing for veterans and first responders who were previously homeless. Under the direction of Captain Fred Jaca, PDD, South District Veterans Chair, South Miami/Coral Gables Lodge’s Manny Perez, Exalted Ruler; Reggie Hernandez, PER; and Rick Del Vecchio, Secretary, teamed with Miami Lodge’s Sharon Weiss and Ozzie Perez and Florida Keys Lodge’s Frank Veltri, Exalted Ruler, to collect and deliver several truckloads of furnishings to the Towers. Florida Keys Lodge donated dishes Aug. 2. On Sept. 10 and Sept. 11, Jaca made several trips to pick up donated furniture and delivered it to Modern Towers. This will be an ongoing team project among these three lodges, as the complex will eventually house hundreds of veterans.

Pictured is some of the donated furniture.