By Port Huron Elks Lodge 343
The Port Huron Elks Lodge 343 Veterans & Elks National Veterans Committee (ENVSC) chairman Scott R. Harris, PER, along with Veterans committee members Gary A. & Penny J. Osburn, both ENVSC VAVS Deputy Reps, accepted the 2023-2024 ENF-Veterans $1,000.00 Freedom Grant check back on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. The funds were slated for purchasing and suppling (50) 18” Durable Waterproof Camo Canvas Backpacks filled with clothing items, toiletries, health and hygiene products, winter apparel, healthy snacks, first aid kits, puzzle books, referrals for emergency services, other cold weather gear, and therapeutic crafts for our local Veterans and active-duty Military in need.
These provisions will help our local Veterans stay healthy, warm, and dry during the cool spring and frigid Michigan winter months. The backpacks are for Veterans in need, including our Homeless/Housing insecure Veterans. Due to the national homeless crisis for Veterans, our Port Huron Elks Lodge 343 Veterans committee continually supplies our local Veterans with therapeutic craft kits, clothing essentials, and mental health activities. This is only made possible with the donations from Lodge 343 membership continued support, local individuals, and organizations such as our Fraternal Order of Elks. Over and above this Freedom Grant award, our Lodge 343 Members continually provide blankets, hats, gloves, health, crafts, books, and hygiene products to our local Veterans’ organizations. In addition, we continue to foster an already close relationship with the Yale VA Clinic, our local DVA agency, which is integral in supporting our esteemed Veterans. This also enables our Lodge to keep this National crisis visible to our membership.
We had a group of (6) Elk Members & (2) Family members involved in the whole process, not to mention the many Elk Lodge 343 members silently helping by donating to our BIG RED BOX program a few months ago, filling it to the top. It should be noted that the Port Huron Elks Lodge 343 Veterans Committee and Lodge Membership, also donated funds to purchase the additional (15) 18” Durable Waterproof Camo Canvas Backpacks to reach our total of (50) we planned to donate.
In remembrance of Veterans Month of November, we had two separate presentations of the (50) total 18” Durable Waterproof Camo Canvas Backpacks. Our first presentation was on Thursday, November 7, 2024, to Stephanie McLaren, Clinic Manager at Yale Community Health Center who happily accepted the (25) backpacks at the Veterans Cinic in Yale, MI. Then on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, we presented (25) Backpacks to Shannon M. Kreger, Director, and Katie L. Creguer, Clerk, who also happily accepted the backpacks at the at Sanilac County Department of Veterans Affairs in Sandusky, MI. all while staying true to our Elks pledge “So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them.” The Port Huron Elks Lodge 343 is located at 3292 Beach Road, Port Huron, MI. 48060, Veterans Committee chairman Scott R. Harris, PER & ENVSC VAVS Rep can be reached at (810) 956-7374 or scottharris55@comcast.net with any additional questions, concerns or ideas on how we can assist our local Veterans.
