 July is a time to celebrate our nation and its diverse history. And what better time for our Lodge to honor and provide continued support for our military and veterans with our frozen food deliveries to the USOs at Reagan National Airport and Joint Base Myer/Henderson Hall (Ft Myer); and also with our Welcome Kit for newly-housed homeless veterans.
Our Lodge volunteers made 2 frozen food deliveries this month to the Reagan and Ft Myer USOs - one on July 8 and the other on July 28. This frozen food will provide a hearty sandwich/meal for the weary military/veteran travelers at the airport USO and also provide respite for the Honor Guard members at the Ft Myer USO, between the multiple funerals they perform at Arlington National Cemetery. Each delivery will serve about 190 for each facility. Additionally, our Lodge volunteers delivered a Welcome Home Kit to a previously homeless veteran, who was moving into her new apartment. The Welcome Kit provides the necessities a home requires, such as bedding, sheets, towels, kitchenware, pots & pans, toilet paper, etc. This program is a partnership between the Dept of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Elks. The VA funds the homeless veteran housing and the local Elks Lodge provides the furnishings, which is majorly funded through Grand Lodge Grants or other Grand Lodge funding. |
