It’s official. The 2016 Winter Elks Scholar Service Trip was a success.

The 19 Elks scholars and the two Elks National Foundation staff members who served on the trip are safely back at school and work. Though they have returned to their normal lives, none of them will forget the lessons they learned and the bonds they formed while serving together in the Oakland area.

The trip began on Sunday, January 3, when the scholars flew to Oakland from all over the country. They quickly connected, and laughter filled the place they’d call home for the rest of the week. Programs Relationship Associate Maryann Slater, who led the trip, also led the group that evening in discussions and team-building activities.

Monday, the group rose early from their air mattresses to begin a week of service arranged through Community Collaborations International. Half the team went to Harbor House, an after-school program for low-income elementary school students, while the rest went to the Bay Area Rescue Mission, the area’s largest shelter for people experiencing homelessness.

At the mission, the scholars were greeted by Linda Pitts and Gloria Matagliati, members of Richmond, Calif., Lodge No. 1251, who often serve there. The two Elks served right alongside the Elks scholars in the mission’s kitchen, preparing meals for its many clients. As they worked, the Elks told the scholars about their Lodge’s work in the community, which ranges from renovating a baseball field to helping a boy with Leukemia get the special food he needs. They praised the ENF for facilitating their good work through Community Investments Program grants.

The side-by-side service led to an impromptu invitation to the Richmond Lodge for dinner the next night. On short notice, the Lodge was able to accommodate 21 additional dinners and make them all feel special at the same time.

The Elks scholars enjoyed eating dinner and sharing conversation with the Elks, and hearing the history of their Lodge. Member Bob Ostini even drove some of the team home and shared some great insights about Elkdom along the way.

Justin Schulberg, a 2013 Most Valuable Student scholar from Rutgers University, had this to say: “I always wanted to know more about the people who helped support us with scholarships. I learned a lot tonight, and I am so grateful they took the time to get to know us and tell us what it means to be an Elk.”

The evening with the Richmond Elks was a fantastic way to cap off a long day of packing fresh produce—more than 16,000 pounds of it— at the Alameda County Community Food Bank.

On Wednesday, the scholars again served at the Bay Area Rescue Mission and Harbor House, flipping their assignments from Monday so that every participant would have the opportunity to serve with both organizations. That night, they were picked up by “Russ the Bus” and whisked away for another evening of R&R with their #ElksFamily.

Members Gary “Woody” Corda and Wayne Wilson of Petaluma, Calif., Lodge No. 901 arrived with the vintage bus, and the Elks Scholar Service Team climbed aboard. Corda shared Russ’ history. It once belonged to the Great Communicator, Ronald Reagan himself, as he campaigned for governor. Later, it spent two decades carrying passengers from coast to coast for Trailways. The Petaluma Lodge eventually purchased it on eBay.

Russ the Bus delivered the scholars to Alameda, Calif., Lodge No. 1015, where, they were treated to a pasta dinner. Afterward, members Lynn Glick and Dean Seaquest led the scholars on a fun-filled tour of the Lodge.

That night as the scholars reflected on the evening, 2014 Legacy scholar Emily Mitchell, who attends Murray State University, shared this: “I am so fortunate to have grown up in an Elks family. My relatives are all Elks, and we are up at the Lodge as a family all the time. I am so glad y’all got to have this opportunity to see the Elks family in action.”

Thursday morning, the scholars were back in action, helping to secure the coastline by planting aquatic plants with Save the Bay.

And on Friday, they took care of themselves. The scholars had the day off to see the sights of the Bay area. They walked the Golden Gate Bridge, visited Fisherman’s Wharf, and enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.

It was a full week filled with opportunities to learn firsthand what it means to be an Elk, serve the Bay Area, and connect with one another.

Special thanks to the Elks of the Bay Area for helping us demonstrate the true meaning of #ElksFamily.

The winter trip was the second of three Elks Scholar Service Trips planned for the 2015-16. The spring trip will take place in Washington, D.C., in March. These trips provide scholars the opportunity to learn about societal issues, serve those in need in the name of the Elks, and connect with their Elks Family from across the country. For more information about the trips, visit enf.elks.org/scholarservicetrips. For more on this trip, tune in to episode 21 of Midday with the ENF.