The Franklin County Senior Citizens Center provides a number of services to seniors in our community. One of those services is an emergency food pantry. For many seniors, money is tight, and there are times when a budget just doesn’t cover all the food that is needed. That’s where the food pantry comes in, and the Frankfort Elks Lodge is glad to pitch in and help.

The Frankfort Elks recently donated over $2,000 worth of food to the emergency food pantry at the Senior Citizens Center. As you can see in the picture above, it took a truck and three Elks to get it all there! Pictured (from L to R) are Diana Rogers, Outreach Coordinator for the center, and Elks Sandy Moore, Kela Simpson, and Bill Moore (rear).

This donation has become a yearly tradition for our lodge, and we’re proud to say that we’re helping Franklin County’s seniors in need. Want to get involved? Check out our Membership page for information on how you can become a member!

On Monday night, April 3, the Frankfort Elks installed new officers for the 2017-18 lodge year. The new officers are:

• Exalted Ruler: Trey Greenwell
• Esteemed Leading Knight: John Snyder
• Esteemed Loyal Knight: Mark Ruble
• Esteemed Lecturing Knight: Kim Bickers
• Secretary: Charles Cunningham
• Treasurer: Terry LaFontaine
• 3-Year Trustee: Ricky May
• 2-Year Trustee: Tammy Branham
• 1-Year Trustee: Ricky Groves
• Esquire: Matthew Conway
• Chaplain: Doug Sanderson
• Inner Guard: Rick Nesselrode
• Tiler: Linda LaFontaine

Many thanks to these individuals who have stepped up into positions of responsibility in the lodge, and much appreciation to those outgoing officers for their dedication.

At the annual state convention of the Kentucky Elks Association this past weekend, Jim Dorris of Madisonville Lodge #738 was installed as the new State President, and his wife Mary Kay is our new First Lady.

The officers and members of Frankfort Lodge #530 would like to extend our very best wishes for the coming year to Jim and Mary Kay, and we are looking forward to having them come visit us in Frankfort both for their official visit and the 2018 State Convention.

We’d also like to recognize and thank our outgoing State President and First Lady, Bill and Kathy Frommeyer of Newport Lodge #273. They have been amazing representatives for our state over the past year, but we’re also sure they’re ready for a little well-earned rest and relaxation.

Finally, congratulations are also in order for our very own Charlie Cunningham of Frankfort Lodge #530, who was installed as President-Elect at that same convention.

Each year, the Frankfort Elks and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet team up to collect winter coats and clothes for the veterans at the Lexington VA. This combines the efforts of the Elks to collect clothing with Shannon Martin’s annual coat drive at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Last week, this year’s donations were taken to the VA.

Pictured above (left to right) are Glenn Cleveland, Veteran; Ana Miranda, Clothing Room Supervisor; and Bill Moore, PER of the Frankfort Elks Lodge. Bill delivered the truckload of clothing to the VA, which included over 80 coats and an abundance of winter clothes.

The Elks mission is that “So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them.” The Frankfort Elks Lodge is grateful to all who donated, and hope that this reminds everyone to think of a veteran that could use your help.

The Frankfort Elks Lodge has a yearly tradition that around the first of December, we deliver a dictionary to every third grader in the county. This includes students at all schools, both Franklin County and Frankfort Independent, as well as the private schools as well. These dictionary deliveries are ongoing as we speak, and this year we will hand out over 600 dictionaries to kids. Each third grader will also receive an anti-drug ribbon and a pencil along with their dictionary.

Pictured above are Frankfort Elks Sandy Moore (right) and Trey Greenwell (center), who are seen delivering dictionaries to West Ridge Elementary School 3rd grade teacher, Kimberly Young (left).

The Frankfort Elks have been delivering dictionaries to third graders for over a decade, and we plan to continue this program for the foreseeable future. It is a boon to our community, and to the kids it serves. This project is made possible each year through a grant from the Elks National Foundation. For more information on the Foundation, and how you can give, please visit their website.

Interested in joining the Elks to become part of our many charitable works? Click here to find out more!