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 Each year the local Elks clubs receive grant funds from the
Elks National Foundation.
The grants are normally for $1,000 per lodge. The local Elks
organizations then redistribute the funds to local charities.
Fleshman said the local unit has chosen three charities this year,
based on their ability to do good things for children and families.
First to receive funding was the Sgt. Robert E. Graue Toys for
Tots group. This is a segment of the Sgt. Robert E. Graue Detachment
1336, Marine Corps. Represented by Jay and Donna Gaydosh, the organization
was awarded $500.
The Gaydoshes explained how they would use the money. All the funding
such as this goes directly to the purchase of Christmas gifts for
children.
The Toys for Tots gifting event is scheduled to take place before
Christmas at the Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District station. Toys and
gifts are given to parents so that they can have to opportunity to
give the gifts to the children personally on Christmas.
Donna Gaydosh explained that funding coming from local organizations
such as the Elks is spent in Logan County. She noted that much of
their shopping is done at area businesses, such as Big R, Ace
Hardware, Kroger, Prairie Years and Walmart.
She also commented on gifts received last year from R.P. Lumber. The
newest lumber and hardware business in Lincoln donated several craft-style or do-it-yourself building kits for older kids. Gaydosh said
the kits included items such as birdhouses. She also noted that
gifts like these are really wonderful because they fit better with
older children.
Roger Matson, who was in attendance with Wanda Lee Rohlfs as
representatives of Main Street, asked about the purchases Toys for
Tots makes from out-of-town stores. Gaydosh took the opportunity to
explain one instance where the group does go out of town to make
purchases at Toys"R"Us stores. She said the chain of retailers
offers cash awards to all Toys for Tots organizations. Because they
are the retailer making the donation, the local chapter does use
their gift in their stores.
Bill Overton of the Lincoln/Logan Food Pantry was on hand to accept
a check for $250.
Overton said the money would be used strictly to purchase food
for the pantry.
He spoke briefly about the need in Lincoln and Logan County. He
noted that according to many sources, the economy is improving;
however, what he sees daily at the food pantry doesn't really
support that theory.
He said that in April the number of households served by the
pantry exceeded 400, but by June the number had risen to well above
500 households with a total of nearly 2,000 people. He commented
on this, saying that when the population of the entire county is only
about 30,000, having 2,000 people with no food to eat (approximately
7 percent of the population) is a pretty sad statistic.
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It was also mentioned that the pantry Overton was representing is
not the only food pantry in Logan County, as Community Action, Salvation
Army and some of the local churches also provide this much-needed
service. Rohlfs asked if Overton thought all the food pantries were
seeing these same kinds of increases. He said he didn't have exact
information on that, but he believed they probably were.
Like Toys for Tots, the Lincoln/Logan Food Pantry relies heavily on
donations from local organizations and individuals.
The third check Fleshman presented was to Main Street Lincoln, in the
amount of $250. He said when the Elks group was looking at the
charities they would support this year, they chose Main Street
specifically because of the annual Christmas parade, but Rohlfs
could use the money at her discretion for any of the children's
activities that occur around Christmas.
Rohlfs said the money would be put to good use to benefit all
the children in the area. The annual Christmas parade is a free,
family-friendly event that will take place on the Friday evening after
Thanksgiving on Lincoln's downtown square.
Rohlfs said that among other events during the holiday
season is a free breakfast with Santa, and new this year will
be a Santa house on the courthouse lawn. Rohlfs said Santa will make
frequent visits to Lincoln this winter and spend time at the house,
where children can come and visit with him.
For the Main Street Lincoln organization, much of what they do has to
be supported through fundraisers and donations. The organization
seeks out new ways to bring money into their programs so
that events such as the Christmas parade can continue to go on each
year.
Fleshman said the Elks Lodge is happy to be able to offer this kind
of support to these three groups and is confident that all the
money will be put to very good use.
[By NILA SMITH]
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