Barre Elks members visited Veterans Inc. in Bradford, Vermont with donations of sneakers, work boots, jeans, socks and gloves. The donation was made possible with a Beacon grant from Elks National Foundation. This is the first time Barre Elks Lodge has worked with Veterans Inc. Veterans Inc provides housing for homeless Veterans, including emergency shelter, transitional and supportive housing. Each of the sixteen residents received a pair of sneakers or work boots, jeans, gloves and socks.
Photos Attached (taken by Kristin Calcagni)
Veterans John and Chris (L to R) open their new footwear.
Veteran Kyle opening his new sneakers.
Veteran Kyle, ER Maureen Lawson, Veteran John, Veterans Inc Resident Advisor John Prescott and Veterans Committee chair Chip Paine.
Other photos of Veterans trying on their new footwear.
Members of Barre Elks Lodge, in anticipation of Elks National Youth Week, presented over 370 dictionaries and thesauruses to third and fourth grade students at nine local schools. The reference books were a gift for each student to keep and use throughout their school career.
Maureen Lawson, Barre Lodge 1535 Exalted Ruler for the 2017-2018 year presented Mark McCarthy of Lenny’s with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elk Citizen of the Year Award. The award is presented annually by the Exalted Ruler to a member of the community exemplifying the values of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mark and Lenny’s are no strangers to our community and have provided countless donations to organizations, including being generous donors for Vermont Elk Charities and the Stand Down for Vets held last fall.
News item submitted by Barb Watters.
Barre Elks Lodge recently presented representatives from Twin Valley Senior Center, Tires for Troops and Hedding United Methodist/Good Samaritan Haven with monetary donations to further their missions. Funds were made possible from the Elks National Foundation Gratitude grant.
Executive director Rita Copeland and volunteers Jean Lawson and Andrea Blanchard, from Twin Valley Senior Center explained that funds would be used for an array of projects. The center prepares all of their meals and provides approximately 1000 meals on-site and through their Meals on Wheels program. They also provide exercise classes, health clinics, day trips and educational opportunities. The center has a website twinvalleyseniors.org and can be found on facebook.
Tires for Troops founder, Tylor Bigras was on hand to receive their donation. Tires for Troops is a non-profit organization that purchases and has installed winter tires for Veterans in central Vermont. Over 12 Veterans received new winter tires, had them mounted and balanced, a free car inspection and oil change. Tires for Troops works with The Veterans’ Place in Northfield, Veterans Inc. in Bradford and the Barre Area Veterans council.
Representatives from Hedding United Methodist Church and Good Samaritan Haven included Kim Kie, Pastor at Hedding UMC and Chair of the Board for Good Samaritan Haven, Reverend Renny Azotea, Outreach Pastor at Hedding UMC, Brooke Jenkins, Good Samaritan Haven Executive Director and Jon Kilian, Hedding UMC trustee and Good Samaritan Haven volunteer. The Good Samaritan Haven overflow shelter utilizes space and heat from Hedding UMC and is run by the Haven. Hedding UMC began providing space for the emergency overflow shelter in 2011. Since then, space has been made available from November to April for up to fourteen people to sleep each night. Over the last three years, the overflow has been heavily utilized. Between 8-14 individuals sleep on cots in the church from 8:30 pm to 7 am.
Photos Attached (taken by Kristin Calcagni):
Hedding 2018: From L to R: Renny Azotea, Brooke Jenkins, Kim Kie, Exalted Ruler Maureen Lawson and Jon Kilian
Twin valley 2018: From L to R: Andrea Blanchard, Jean Lawson and Exalted Ruler Maureen Lawson
Tires for troops 2018: From L to R: Tylor Bigras and Exalted Ruler Maureen Lawson
News item submitted by Barre Elks Lodge
Barre Elks Lodge continued its tradition of supporting The Veterans’ Place in Northfield, Vermont. For the 5th consecutive year, Barre Lodge has utilized a $2000 Elks National Foundation Beacon grant to purchase items for Veterans transitioning from the Veterans’ Place into their own housing. Members purchased, organized and packaged “Welcome Home” kits that contained cleaning supplies, shower curtains, towels, toasters, kitchen utensils, coffee makers, mixing bowls, alarm clocks and other items needed to set up a house.
According to The Veterans’ Place Executive Director, Phil Rowell, “the guys leave here needing nothing, everything is supplied for them. They know all about the (storage) room and use it.” The Veterans’ Place is a transitional housing facility combined with assistive services for Homeless Veterans in Central Vermont. Their goal is to help Homeless Veterans transition from the homeless population. The purpose of the Veterans’ Place is to help Vermont’s Homeless Veterans by providing desperately needed resources in an all-in-one locale so these Veterans may regain their PRIDE, reach their full potential, and once again become contributing members of society.
Elk members brought loads of items, filling a storage room, then chatted with the Veterans that were on hand to help unload the items.
Photo: Pictured are Exalted Ruler Maureen Lawson with Veterans Marc, Tom and Bob.
