Petaluma Elks Outreach to the Community
The Petaluma Elks Lodge #901 in following their fraternal order mandate to help in the community, applied for and received a $10,000 grant from the Elks National Foundation for Community Improvement. The grant was to create a youth and family support program for the local community.
The partnership with the Petaluma Elks Lodge #901 and the Salvation Army has worked hard to provide services and support for families in our community. So when the Petaluma Elks heard that the Petaluma Salvation Army was in need of funding for their food pantry program that helps some 450 households a week with food and aid. Petaluma Elks applied to the Elks National Foundation for a $2000 grant for the TSA community support programs. They received it and donated the grant to TSA to help families impacted with COVID-19.
Elks #901 has applied for and have been awarded several other grants as well. Grants that have helped support Casa Grande High School with food and resources for underserved youth, funds for a backpack program for foster children in Sonoma county, and funds for veterans programs.
Some of what is being accomplished at the Elks/TSA youth center is providing students access to computers making it possible for them to finish their school work so they could graduate, and providing a space for children in foster care to have visitation with their families.
So through all of what the community is going through, the Elks have found ways to keep the grant in play and continue in helping the community.
In the meantime, volunteer Elks have started going through the process of background checks and fingerprinting in order to create the 15-member team of volunteers that will be working with the families and children. By working together, the organizations can do more to assist those in need.
