Pat Cox
Catalina Mountain Elks Lodge #2815 used a $2,000 Elks National Foundation Spotlight Grant and close to $4,000 in donations from the lodge to purchase 210 backpacks and personal items for homeless and transitioning veterans. Thirty-three Elks lodge veterans, under the leadership of Dan Bradshaw, met and filled the backpacks with shirts, socks, underwear, hats, flashlights, and personal hygiene items. On March 11, the lodge set up a booth at the Tucson Veterans StandDown where the backpacks were distributed over a two-day period. The veterans also received a “Thank You for Your Service” challenge coin.
The Arizona Veterans StandDown Alliance is a program of the Arizona Housing Coalition that holds annual events that allow veterans and their families who are homeless or experiencing housing instability to receive supportive services. The event is open to all veterans, National Guard members, and reservists in the Tucson area.
Catalina Mountain Elks Lodge was proud to be a part of this gratifying experience! “So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them.”