“If you want to arrange it this world, you can change it if we could somehow make this Christmas thing last by helping a neighbor or even a stranger” - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
The Salem Elks Lodge utilizes grants from the Elks National Foundation Community Investments Program as well as funds donated by members every year for our annual Christmas Charities Project. This project annually puts nearly $10,000 towards helping those in need during the holidays with assistance shopping for presents and assistance with groceries. We work with numerous community partners to take referrals for these projects, and all who are aided must be referred by one of our community partner organizations. Our focus is on students with disabilities, veterans families, and families of our military personnel. This past year through our Christmas Charities the Salem Elks Lodge provided assistance for over 45 families and 92 children. For more information on this project, or any of our Elks National Foundation CIP projects contact lodge ENF Grants Coordinator Blake Whitson at Blake.orncelks@gmail.com
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The lodge helps provide food boxes for families in need. These boxes include grocery staples such as milk, butter, bread, rice, as well as fresh produce we partner with local FFA chapters to get. We also include a gift card to a local grocery store that can be used for meat or other needed grocery items. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic the lodge has switched to provided gift cards in place of food boxes, but hopes to return to our traditional food boxes next year.
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The Salem Elks Lodge works closely with the Oregon School for the Deaf to provide for student needs at the school. In addition to helping individual students we have also provided items for the school such as new sheets and towels for the dorms, holiday cheer packages for students and their families, and more.
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Finally, we know that many veterans are struggling as our member of our National Guard. The Salem Elks Lodge works with multiple partner agencies to identify families in need during the holidays. The lodge is able to help provide food assistance as well as Christmas presents for the families of veterans and National Guard members who can use the extra help at the holidays. Through this project we have assisted dozens of families and hundreds of kids.
