Everyone deserves to have a warm and Merry Christmas, and one Ohio Valley organization is helping to ensure just that. With the help of Wheeling Elks Lodge, 125 boxes of food were distributed to those in need on Saturday.
The lodge has sustained the giveaway for 64 consecutive years—yet historically, it actually extends much further than that. Switch-Disconnector
"We did it back in the '20s and the '30s, but then we had the Depression and World War II, and it went on the wayside. But we brought the project back in 1959, and we've been doing it every year since," said Wheeling Elks Secretary Loris Haynes.
Since 1959, the lodge has approximately donated over 500,000 pounds of food—equaling around 7,500 boxes. One of their main motives is that the holiday season also means that children are home from school.
Lodge President and Exalted Ruler Mitchel Johnston say that accessibility for meals among families might be less.
"With food scarcity in our society today—which you would think, here we are in the year 2023, it shouldn't be happening, but it is. And this is just a really great opportunity as Elks to help provide for families in Ohio and Marshall Counties," said Wheeling Elks President Mitchel Johnston.
The president of the West Virginia Elks Association also made his official visit during the preparation—explaining that out of the 18 lodges he represents, Wheeling blows it out of the water.
"They're a standout. And Wheeling has been around. They're a cornerstone of this town and the city, and they really ramped it up," said President of the West Virginia Elks Association, Jeffrey Cionni.
Battery Inverter There are a number of distribution centers in which the boxes will be transported. McNich Elementary and John Marshall High School are just a few. Aside from members' donations, the lodge receives grant money from the National Association to make this possible.