The Salem Elks has presented a $2,500 Gratitude grant to Franklin Park Middle School Librarian Connie Chapman.
Chapman had sought the money to make sure no one was left out in an upcoming book fair.
“We are very excited. We do 2 book fairs every year. This will be for our February book fair. This will make sure every student in our building will get to buy a book, there’s to keep. The kids love the book fair and have already been asking me when the next book fair is. So this will help build a lot of excitement.”
Chapman says every student in fourth through eighth grade as well as pre-schoolers at Franklin Park will be included in the program.
The Exalted Ruler at the Salem Elks Mike Hooe says this was a way they could help low-income students. He noted 55 percent of students in the Salem Grade School District are from families with an income below the poverty level.
Hooe says this grant from the National Elks Foundation completes a very successful year for the Salem Elks.
“We have received over $20,000 this year in grants. That combined with our other efforts here at the Lodge just in the last year we have raised over $70,000 for charity for the community.”
Hooe says the biggest national grant is the ongoing grant to finance the Hungry Hearts program during non-school days in the summer to assure young people are getting a good lunch. Other food programs have also benefited. Hooe is constantly on the lookout for grant programs available through Elk’s National and then fills out the paperwork. He says each grant has its own guidelines and the group they are trying to help has to meet those guidelines. Hooe says they have been very fortunate with the number of grants they receive.
Locally, $7,500 has been raised through its fall golf tournament for local charities. Sunday Chicken Day Fund Raisers raised almost $40,000 for various charitable and non-profit organizations in the Salem area.
