Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wish I had a way to contribute to my community in an impactful way,” or “Where do we go to find where the need in the community lies? Many of us have had those same thoughts but wonder if the efforts of just one person can have a meaningful impact on our community.
That is where the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks comes in to help lead the way. We are the United States’ premier charitable organization.
On a national level, the Elks have programs for children, including the Youth Drug Awareness Program, the National Hoop Shoot, and the Americanism essay contest, as well as support for Scouts of America. For our youth graduating from High School, there is the Most Valuable Student scholarship program and vocational scholarships. There are also programs for the group of citizens who have given the most to our country: our Veterans.
The Elks’ giving doesn’t stop there. Individual States adopt a State Major Project to support and promote. The Oregon State Elks Association is a major contributor to the Oregon Elks Children’s Eye Clinic, located on the OHSU campus. Because of this connection with the Elks Children’s Eye Clinic, we also sponsor a yearly youth eye poster contest that promotes the importance of eye safety and vision screenings for all pre-K students across the state. The association also sponsors a clinical summer camp for speech- and hearing-impaired children that provides skills and lessons to these children in a traditional summer camp experience from which they are typically excluded. They continue working on life skills that will allow them to be the best they can be.
Do any or all of these programs pique your interest? If so, we can’t wait to show you what Tualatin Vally Elks Lodge does for our local community! That is why the lodge is holding a Community Open House on September 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We are located at 8350 SW Warm Springs St, Tualatin OR, 97062.
Feel free to visit the lodge, meet some of our members, see the displays and converse about what Tualatin Valley Elks Lodge does for our community and what becoming a member could do for you.
