Veterans Affairs

“So Long as there are Veterans, - The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Shall Never Forget Them”

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The mission of the Veteran’s Affairs Committee (VAC) of the lodge is to provide occasional funding, fraternal activities, and general support for our local Veterans, various Veterans’ programs, and our Military located throughout South-Eastern North Carolina. Included in the Committee’s mission is activity support for the residents of the North Carolina State Veteran’s Nursing Home and Veteran’s Hospital in Fayetteville, NC and our Wounded Warrior units located in Fort Bragg and Camp LeJeune.

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The activities of the committee are funded by occasional committee sponsored fundraising events, occasional grants from the Elks National Foundation (ENF), and unsolicited personal donations.

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The committee and its activities operate under the direction and leadership of its co-chairmen, John Corbett and Jerry Kimble, since 2016 when they succeeded Austin Sammon and previous co-chairman George Griffin who passed away in 2015. The co-chairmen have undertaken the duties of operating the day-to-day affairs of the committee, conducting the Committee’s monthly meetings, overseeing the treasurer’s handling of the Committee’s financial records, and scheduling, organizing, and executing the activities to benefit our Veterans throughout any given calendar year.

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Responsibility for executing “Special Fund-Raising Events” such as the

Committee’s annual “Indoor Yard Sale”, the Annual “Mini-Golf Tournament & Charity Auction”, twice annual raffles, and other activities are delegated to other leaders within the ranks of the committee’s membership.

 

Examples of activities traditionally conducted by the VAC are:

• Holiday luncheons for veterans and residents of the NC VA Home and NC VA Hospital in Fayetteville, NC

• A “Day-at-the-Lodge” for Senior Veterans in local assisted living homes, which includes a Fishing Adventure at the Sunset Beach Pier, lunch at the Lodge, and some camaraderie and fellowship time

• “Donut Day” visits to Veterans and residents of local assisted-living and nursing home facilities

• A Mini-Golf Tournament and live “Charity Auction” fundraiser

• Packing & Shipping of “Care Packages” for selected military personnel stationed overseas

• Supporting the Lodge’s Veteran’s Day Social & Dinner Dance

 

The VAC has provided over $85,000 in support of local Veteran and Military  programs since 2016; this includes:

• Supporting area programs that assist Veterans such as Brunswick

Family Assistance, the Brunswick County Sheriff Office’s “Project

Lifesaver,” the Brunswick Community College Partnership for

American Veteran Employment (PAVE), The Good Shepherd

Center’s SGT Ashley Center for Homeless Veterans, and Lower Cape Fear Lifecare

• Providing holiday gift cards to Service Members at the Ft Bragg Warrior Transition Battalion and the Camp LeJeune Wounded Warrior

Battalion-East and their associated Fisher Houses

• Sponsoring a “Tiny Home” as part of the Veterans Welcome Home & Resource Center’s program to house homeless veterans.

 

The Co-Chairpersons of the VAC report to the Exalted Ruler and lodge officers, establish and maintain sound working relationships and

communication channels with other lodge committee chairpersons, District, State, or National Elks’ counterparts, as appropriate; and others in the civilian and military communities necessary to successfully execute the mission of the Committee.