“We Are The Elks” 
“Swing Into Elkdom“
Elks National Veterans Service Commission
“November Is Elks Veterans Remembrance Month”
Chicago, IL, October 24, 2017: Some twenty-two million veterans live in our communities. The Elks National President, Malcolm J. McPherson Jr. , has proclaimed November is Veterans Remembrance Month as a way to encourage us to find local veterans and help them with their needs.
Elks volunteers provide direct service to Veterans in more than 330 VA Medical Centers, State Veterans Homes, Vets Centers and other Veterans facilities each month. Through our grants to Elks Lodges, we connect directly with Veterans and military members in their communities, providing them with services where they live.
We help Veterans rehabilitate and thrive by sponsoring and volunteering at 5 adaptive sports programs each year, and provide recovering veterans with therapy kits and wheelchair gloves. Our Welcome Home initiative, a partnership with the VA at the national level, is reaching out to some of our most vulnerable veterans: those who are experiencing homelessness.
To this end, the Elks have pledged $4 million dollars to help end Veteran Homelessness. Last year alone, the value of Elks’ contributions to the nation’s heroes provided more than $40 million to more than 323,573 Veterans served.
Let us remember to thank our Veterans and to show our appreciation in some special way every day, not just in November. And, should you see a member of our Armed Services in uniform, please march right up to him or her and say: “Thank you for your service. Have a great day!” It is the least we can do.
Want to join us in our service to Veterans? There are more than 1,900 Elks Lodges across the country with a total membership nearing 800,000. Elks’ members must be American citizens who are at least 21 years of age and must believe in God.
History of the Elks and Veterans:
Other programs associated with the Elks National Veterans Service Commission. In each of the 172 VA Medical Centers nationwide there is an Elks committee at work. Since 1917, hundreds of thousands of Elks and their families have given generously of their time, energy and resources so that the lives of our ill and aging veterans will be enhanced.
Services Include:
Army of Hope
Playing Cards for Veterans