Between April and September, we awarded nearly $385,000 in Focus Grant funds. That’s more than ever before! We also expanded eligibility to include Lodges in the Phoenix and Tampa-Orlando metro areas. Now, volunteers in twelve cities can apply for Focus Grants to serve veterans in their own communities.
Focus Grants fund active, large-scale projects designed to assist veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Veterans face a disproportionately high risk of homelessness compared to non-veterans. With support from ENVSC, Elks around the country are working hard to change that. Focus Grants are one of the tools volunteers use to fight veteran homelessness.
43 Elks Lodges, each with funds ranging from $5,000 to $10,000, are using Focus Grants to uplift veterans in need. This year’s projects include building and operating a veterans’ food pantry, planting a vegetable garden at a veterans’ housing facility, and purchasing furniture and household items for newly housed veterans. Other Lodges are welcoming veterans and serving meals at Stand Downs, hosting skills workshops for veterans transitioning into permanent housing, or distributing warm coats and winter clothing to veterans living outside.
Left photo: Riverside, Calif., Lodge No. 643 is supplying bikes for veterans, giving them transportation to job interviews, work, and appointments.
Right photo: Sun City, Ariz., Lodge No. 2559 purchased clothing, baby supplies, and toys for residents of a new transitional home for female veterans and their children.
Elks volunteers have learned valuable lessons from serving homeless veterans. For one thing, Focus Grants teach us that seemingly little things can make big difference in a veteran’s life. Volunteers from Glendale, Calif., Lodge No. 1289 tailor their deliveries of household supplies to match each veteran’s unique needs. When they delivered an electric can opener to a veteran who has arthritis, he cried tears of happiness.
By spending time getting to know the veterans they serve, volunteers from West Covina, Calif., Lodge No. 1996 realized that many veterans in need are lacking family relationships and other support systems. This reality underpins the important role Elks can play in building community, making veterans feel cared for, and helping with housing-related tasks like paying bills online or talking to a landlord.
We have also learned that Elks assistance can provide a sense of normalcy for veterans and their families in vulnerable times. Volunteers from St. Mary’s, Md., Lodge No. 2092 noticed that meeting household needs helps the veterans’ children to be resilient in the face of change, giving them the chance to flourish in school and life.
The gift of service benefits volunteers, too. Elks members across the country report that connecting with veterans in need is a source of joy and purpose. Members of West Palm Beach, Fla., Lodge No. 1352 described shopping for home supplies with veterans as “humbling” and an opportunity to express gratitude. Similarly, volunteers from Vista, Calif., Lodge No. 1968 who helped at the local Stand Down commented on how good it felt to give back to their community.
Focus Grants are available to Elks Lodges in and around Chicago, New York, Seattle, Washington, D.C., San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Loma Linda, Miami, Tampa-Orlando, Las Vegas and Phoenix. Click here to learn more about Focus Grants.
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