The Jr. Elks are very involved within our community. These organizations are ones that we have supported in our years of existence. All are non-profit and charitable.
One is an organization that uses peoples voices as well as their donations to help people all over the globe suffering from extreme poverty, AIDs and hunger.
The Jr.Elks have adopted three animals from the Detroit Zoo: a polar bear, red panda, and arctic fox. All proceeds support the animals through exhibit renovation and veterinary treatment. The program also supports the Species Survival Plans (SSP) in which the Zoo participates.
http://www.detroitzoo.org/Support_the_Zoo/Development/Donate_to_the_Zoo/
Jr. Elks member Kayla Dever is currently raising her fifth assistance dog for PAWS With A Cause. PAWS With A Cause trains Assitance Dogs nationally for people with disabilities and provides lifetime team support which encourages independence.PAWS promotes awareness through education.
http://www.pawswithacause.org/
Lighthouse of Oakland County helps transform the lives of low-income families and individuals by providing both immediate and long-term help and support. From emergency and supplemental food to permanent housing, counceling, education and more, Lighthouse helps people break the cycle of poverty. The Jr. Elks have supported Lighthouse by having clothing drives and peanut butter and jelly drives within our local community to help with the Lighthouse services.
http://www.lighthouseoakland.com/
Every year, the Jr. Elks donate a large amount of the proceeds from their Thanksgiving dinner to the Adopt-A-Minefield organization. Adopt-A Minefield is a campaign of the United Nations Association of the USA, which engages individuals, community groups, and businesses in the United Nations effort to resolve the global landmine crisis. The Campaign helps save lives by raising funds for mine clearance and survivor assistance and by raising awareness about the landmine problem.
Every month the Jr. Elks participate in Meals On Wheels, a program which provides meals to senior citizans so that no one goes hungry. The meals are brought to the seniors by dedicated volunteers. The Meals On Wheels Association of America, or MOWAA, works toward the social, physical, nutritional, and economic betterment of vulnerable Americans.
The Jr. Elks participate in many events around our lodge that support the MDA, or Muscular Dystrophy Association. The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a national voluntary health agency dedicated to conquering more than 40 neuromuscular diseases that affect a million Americans of all ages.
The Jr. Elks are a branch off of the Rochester Elks Lodge #2225.
http://www.rochesterelks2225.org/
The Jr. Elks participate in the Adopt-A-Soldier program. We send a care package to our designated soldier who is fighting in the war over seas. In our care packages we send books, movies, letters, pictures, or anything else we want to send our soldier.
http://adoptasoldier.bigjohnmiska.com/
The Jr. Elks help with our lodge's and our district's Hoopshoots by rebounding and offering our services. The Hoopshoot is a program run by the Elks Club that serves as a scholarship program for young people through a free-throw competition.
http://www.elks.org/hoopshoot/default.cfm
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is the head organization, of which the Jr. Elks are a branch of.
The Jr. Elks support our Rochester Neighborhood House by holding canned food drives within our city. The Neighborhood House builds doorways of opportunity for vibrant, diverse communities. They do so with the partnership of individuals, families, and organizations by meeting essential human needs, facilitating active participation in community life, and by providing access to additional community resources and programs.
The Jr. Elks are big supporters of Children's Hospital of Michigan. we have given care bags for admitted children to help keep them busy with coloring books, crayons, puzzles, and other fun toys. We also made many Build-A-Bears that were donated to the Oncology/Hemotology clinic in Children's. the bears went to newly diagnosed children. they have been much loved and greatly appreciated.
After Jr. Elk's charter member and current president, Kayla, was diagnosed with a rare form of head and neck cancer in may of 2007, the Jr. Elks took action in the fight against cancer. We have sold hundreds of head and neck cancer research braclets with full proceeds going towards head and neck cancer research. This past Thanksgiving the Hudson-Webber Cancer Research Center was one of our two charities. To date we have donated almost $1000 for cancer research.
http://www.hudson-webber.org/Mission_DetMedCenter.html
The Jr. Elks take a strong stance on the issue of drugs. Young people today are particularly targeted with drugs in school and everywhere else. Upon joining, each Jr. Elks vows they will not use drugs and discourage their peers from using as well. Recently, representatives from the Elk's drug awareness program came and spoke to us about the affects of drugs on the body and the life. We even got to try on goggles that show you how it feels to be drunk. It was not a good experiance and only helped confirm our resistance to drugs.