South Southwest District

Details

Written by Carolyn Sutherland

Englewood Elks Lodge #2378 donated its $2,000 Elks National Foundation Spotlight Grant to Englewood Helping Hand (EHH). This donation is to help EHH cover some of the food costs related to the increased volume of food-insecure residents of Charlotte and Sarasota counties in Florida due to the pandemic. Comprehensive data shows that at least 70,700 people in these counties are food-insecure. EHH also provides utility assistance to residences of the Englewood, Florida, community. Pictured at the check presentation are Mark Rennie, board president; Carolyn Sutherland, Exalted Ruler; and Judy Abbott, Secretary and Elks National Foundation Fundraising Lodge Chair. 

Details

Written by Dr. Judith MacGregor

Getting off to a quick start in the new lodge year, Bonita Springs-Estero Lodge applied for an Elks National Foundation (ENF) Gratitude Grant April 1, the day the ENF opened applications. The Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida received the donation of $2,000 that was approved within hours of the grant application. This was a new offering by the ENF to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The highly successful food bank was able to provide $8 of food for every $1 donated by partnering with local food stores for surpluses.

Details

Written by Dr. Judith MacGregor

Our Mother’s Home was the recipient of Bonita Springs-Estero Lodge’s Elks National Foundation Spotlight Grant of $2,000. This organization is a shelter located in Estero, Florida, for girls ages 12 to 19 who are pregnant through abuse, rape or trafficking. The lodge held a community shower luncheon Feb. 17 to coincide with a school holiday so the young ladies could attend with lodge members and friends who brought baby supplies and toys. Grant funds were used to purchase larger items, carriers, bedding and other supplies. In addition, a literacy program conducted by the education director from Estero’s public library was included in the event.

Details

Written by Dr. Judith MacGregor

In the past fiscal Elks year, New Horizons of Southwest Florida has been the recipient of Elks National Foundation Beacon and Gratitude grants from Bonita Springs-Estero Elks Lodge #2753 totaling $4,500. It is an independent faith-based organization in Lee and Collier counties in Florida dedicated to improving education of children in grades K-12 who are at risk and below the poverty level by providing after-school volunteers who serve as tutors, mentors and aids at local churches. Funds from these two grants have been used to purchase computers, provide internet access at local sites so the kids can complete their homework, and purchase materials for a literacy reading summer camp. Lodge members are among the dedicated volunteers for the program that starts in June with reading camp and continued through mid-March when it went online due to the pandemic. Pictured Nov. 21, 2019, is Mr. Omar helping students at a computer lab.

Details

Written by Englewood Elks

Englewood Elks Lodge #2378 awarded seven scholarships to high school seniors which were announced May 20 at a virtual awards presentation by the high school. Normally, lodge members attend the senior award night to present the scholarships, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the scholarship committee informed the school of the winners and the school handled the distribution. Carly Brzostek and Austin Scheetz will each receive $3,000 per year for four years. Brzostek will be attending Marymount Manhattan College and majoring in the film industry, and Scheetz will be attending Florida Southern College and majoring in computer and informational sciences. The winner of the Bill Wellbaum Memorial Scholarship in the same amount is Aidan Moore. Moore hopes to attend the University of South Florida and plans to major in civil engineering. Four students were awarded $1,000 vocational scholarships – Etienne Beaugrand will study nursing at Suncoast Technical College, Adam Berry will study to become an emergency medical technician at Charlotte Technical College, Caleb Joyce will pursue automotive studies at Charlotte Technical College, and Abigail Parker will study cosmetology at Charlotte Technical College.