Holiday help

In keeping with the Elks national motto “Elks CareElks Share”, the Vacaville Elks Lodge has continued its annual holiday charity work through its Bob’s Kids annual Christmas charity project. The 2020 holiday season task of helping those in need was expanded due to the pandemic and resultant economic chaos, leaving many more families and individuals in need of assistance.

Determined to meet this new challenge head- on, to the extent possible, the Elks were able to raise more funds than in any other previous year. With the help of generous donations from its members and families and a grant from the Elks National Foundation, the local Elks Lodge provided Christmas food gift certificates to 45 families in the Vacaville Dixon Fairfield area and merchandise gift cards for each child in those families.

The Elks have also stepped up to assist the Vacaville McBride Senior Center with its annual hosted Christmas and New Year holiday meals for seniors. This year, due to pandemic restrictions prohibiting such gatherings, the McBride Senior Center negotiated to purchase 220 take-out meals from Merchant and Main Restaurant and the County Square Market. The cost of these meals was fully funded by the Elks and deliveries were made to each individual senior homes by volunteers from the McBride Center. Also, the Elks are coordinating with the McBride Center to purchase monthly City bus passes for seniors. All donations have had a positive impact on more than 400 members of our communities who through no fault of their own, have fallen on hard times.

Once again, working with the McBride Center staff, the Vacaville Elks provided more than 120 seniors with restaurant or grocery gift cards so that they could enjoy a full Thanksgiving holiday meal.

Financial contributions made by the local Elks Lodge to fund the Thanksgiving and Christmas projects amounted to well over $13,000. The Elks are also grateful that in addition to providing holiday assistance to families and individuals, the purchases made by those dollars were of direct benefit to local merchants.

— Vacaville Elks

Lodge No. 2638