As part of its goal to provide charity based on community needs, the Homer Elks Lodge has donated to a number of local organizations in 2024 including Hospice of Homer, Homer High School, West Homer Elementary School, Glacier View Baptist Church and community veterans support.
The Homer Elks Lodge #2127’s most recent service grant, the Beacon Grant, provided a total of $4,000 to fund the purchase of mobility equipment for the Hospice of Homer and $2,561.78 to purchase musical instruments for Homer High School.
The mobility equipment, including items such as wheelchairs, canes, commodes and three-wheeled walkers, will serve people who are just getting out of surgery or approaching end of life. The equipment was provided to hospice earlier this summer.
The lodge has been working with Homer High School band teacher Eric Simondsen to provide students with functional instruments. The equipment was delivered to the high school Aug. 30.
At the end of the 2024 school year, the lodge also donated $6,005 through its Alaska State Elks Association H.E.L.P grant to support West Homer Elementary’s outdoor education trip to Peterson Bay. The funds were used to purchase groceries and hats for two overnight trips for the students. Remaining funds from that grant will be used in the 2024-2025 school year.
Second, at the beginning of the summer 2024, they provided financial support for the Glacier View Baptist Church to provide food for homeless teenagers through their summer lunch program.
“Every week I would call the youth pastor, Andy Miller, and ask him what supplies were needed and then purchase and provide them,” said Jill Hockema, the lodge’s exalted ruler.
One day each week the lodge would volunteer to help make lunches, pass out food and prep the bags. The program served more than 4,800 youth this summer, almost double what they served last year, she said.
The Lodge also received a $1,000 grant that they used to purchase 20 $50 Safeway grocery cards that were provided to homeless veterans and the Homer Veterans Affairs clinic.
As of Sept. 3, the local Lodge has 285 active members, Hockema said.
