Elks Supporting Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County

During these unsettling times, as we all do our best to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mission Viejo, Saddleback Valley Elks are still working behind the scenes to serve the community. The local Elks Lodge was given permission from the Elks National Foundation (ENF) to reallocate funds from a planned project to a new more immediate need to better assist the community.

On April 21, the Elks donated $2000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. The Food Bank’s mission is to end hunger in Orange County. With the help of supporters and volunteers, Second Harvest Food Bank works through a network of more than 300 non-profit partner agencies and programs to provide wholesome food and fresh produce to more than 250,000 hungry children, seniors, and families in Orange County every month.

The food bank provided over 26.5 million meals last year. Right now, the Food Bank is dealing with a 40% increase in food demand over the past month. Some help is expected to come from the federal government’s $3 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program but has not arrived yet. Second Harvest Donor Relations Associate Megan Hunker thanked the Elks for the cash donation which she said greatly helps to supply and maintain the day to day’s most needed staples.

Elks Lodge Grant Chairman Tenisha Campanile praising the organization said, “The dedication to their vision and values reminds me of the Elks dedication to our Cardinal Principles of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity. It is our duty to come together as good human beings to work toward a greater cause.”

The Elks donation to the Food Bank was made possible by a Spotlight Grant which was approved and funded by the Elks National Foundation. The mission of the ENF is to help Elks build stronger communities. ENF Grants fulfill this pledge thru their investments in communities where Elks live and work. That funding helps the young to develop lifelong skills, sends students to college, helps to meet the needs of today’s veterans, supports the charitable work of the State Elks Associations, and funds projects that improve the quality of life in local Elks communities.

Kindly, Click on the link to learn more about the Elks National Foundation. https://www.elks.org/ENF/ourgrants.cfm

The Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Lodge is celebrating 50 years of service to the Saddleback Valley Communities. It is one of 8 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 151-year history of giving. “Elks Care Elks Share”. For information regarding Elks programs or membership, call 949 830-3557.