Kylee & Kelsey Klinger Santa’s Elves
The Mission Viejo, Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge partnered with Elks National Foundation to bring Santa and Christmas to the House of Hope “Next Step” Shelter located in Orange.
The House of Hope provides single mothers with children the opportunity to enter the labor market while obtaining housing and supportive services that assists them through the crucial transition from recently homeless to a stable housing environment.
The Lodge was very fortunate to have been invited to their yearly Tree Decorating Party and this year along with Elks Outreach Program volunteers, took souvenir pictures of the families and helped with the tree decorating. Additionally the outing had a wild and wonderful visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
When Elks Lodge President Derek Randles ran into the room out of breath to announce the arrival of a special guest – well to say the Kids Went Wild would be an understatement.
They ganged up on St. Nick and the Misses with rapid fire questions like; “What are the names of your mom and dad?”, “Where did you grow up?”, “Do you have any brothers and sisters?” and the most difficult question, “How do you get to every household in one night?”
Among the answers was a quick discussion on the space/time continuum which explains Santa’s ability to stop time for one night while he performs his heavy burden of Christmas delivery responsibilities.
Let’s hope the child bought that answer. One particular child was fighting his urge to “not believe” in Santa knowing Christmas was right around the corner.
Elk member Pam Mackey and husband Mr. Claus Ed raised the bar of the visit by bursting in on the party. All twenty-five of the children in the program were each given one gift and a stocking that night by Santa, and thanks to members Past Lodge President Pat Martino, Mike Klinger, Dennis Lumley, and Jim Wessling; each family was presented with separate child and group pictures with Santa to commemorate this cheerful event.
Feeding Santa gift bags were Elk members Mike and Vicky Long and Judy Klinger who passed the packages to “Santa’s Elves” – Elk Mike Klinger and wife Judy’s grandkids Kylee and Kelsey – who also told the kids they were from the North Pole!
Elk Stephanie Bongartz sourced special items such as Giant Christmas Stockings and new school clothes for each kid. President Randles described Stephanie as “an amazing Elk.” The Christmas Socks were so large that a child could actually use one as a sleeping bag – they really were that big!
Each child and parent has a large stocking filled with clothing of their size and gifts left behind at the home to help make Christmas morning extra special.
These gifts and clothing were purchased with combined efforts through fund raisers within the lodge and a special Promise Grant for $2000 from the Elks National Foundation.
The Promise Grant Is specifically for events that help children and is only available to the first 500 Elks Lodges who submit qualifying projects.
The Lodge was very fortunate to have been one of only 500 Elks Lodges who were approved for this grant. Without this grant, the Christmas visit to the House of Hope would not have been possible.
The Community Outreach Program within the Mission Viejo Elks was initiated by Lodge President (Exalted Ruler) Derek Randles this year and has helped many small charities and others in need in the local area and does this through internal fund raising.
The planning for this event started in August of this year with the initial application to the ENF for a special grant. Mission Viejo/Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge #2444 is celebrating 44 years of service to Saddleback Valley Communities.
It is one of 10 lodges in the Orange Coast District of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) whose headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois. The BPOE is a charitable organization with a 146 history of giving. “Elks Care Elks Share”
“KEEP COMMUNICATING”
Andy Costello
2014-15 CHEA Public Relations Chairman
Mission Viejo, Saddleback Valley Lodge #2444
