GENERAL THOUGHTS IDEAS AND NOTES
TO: All Lodges
FROM: Stewart Israel, Adopt-A-Veteran Chairperson

My goal is two fold:
1. To be 100% in Adopting Veterans.
2. To increase the number of adopted veterans in each lodge.

The question you may have is HOW DO WE DO IT?

Here is the answer in 6 easy steps:

THE ADOPT-A-VETERAN PROGRAM

#1 Which Veterans are adoptable?
1. Individual Veterans in Veteran hospitals
2. Groups in the Hospital Nursing, and hospice care units
3. Veterans in assisted care facilities, nursing homes, convalescent homes, retirement and senior living centers.
4. Any Veteran with limited, or no family contact who is lonely or shut in.
5. Any Elk who qualifies in 1,2, or 3.
6. Veterans in  homeless shelters, and Hospital Domiciliary programs.
7. Veterans can be adopted by more than one lodge, feel free to adopt from afar.

#2 Where do I find Veterans to adopt?
1. V.A. Hospitals have strict privacy laws. You may have to physically visit the hospital and make up your own list.
2. V.A. Hospital Nursing and Hospice unit may be adopted as a group
3. Nursing homes, Assisted living and some senior living facilities have an Activities Director or Social Services representative who can give you the names of the veterans in their facility.
4. Churches, Veteran groups, American Legions, or VFW’s may give you names of Veterans who are shut in or lonely.
5. In your lodge! The veteran member who doesn’t come out to the lodge any more, who is shut in, who doesn’t drive, who has physical disabilities and limitations. Ask the secretary or an older member.
6. Domiciliary and Homeless shelters; have a continuous drive for comfort items and clothing. Have them out for a meal or cater one at their facility. If they are not all Veterans, count the number or percent as determined by the staff of the facility as being adopted.

#3 How do I get my lodge to support an Adopted Veteran?
1. Have an Adopt-A-Vet Chairman.
2. Assign names to volunteers and committee members.
3  “Button Hole” members; ask them to support the program. This can be done at meetings dinners or parties.
4. Have a Veterans Party and ask attendees to take a name.
5. Get schools, Churches, and other civic and Veteran groups to Adopt-A-Veteran.
6. Speak to the groups in your lodge, Ladies or PER’s about adoption.
7. Teenage children of Elks, Antlers program, Scout groups.
8. The Exalted Ruler can create and appoint an Adopt-A-Vet Chairperson and Committee.

#4 Now that I have adopted a Veteran, What do I do?
1. Hospital groups: help the Elk Hospital chair put on activities. Sponsor Bingo, Horse races, Ice Cream socials, meals, and luncheons at the lodge. Sponsor Color tours, fishing, boat rides, Bowling, and Restaurant meals.
2. Send them cards on birthdays and holidays.
3. Drop notes to them or send vacation post cards.
4. Give them small gifts of comfort items on holidays or birthdays.
5. Take them to dinner or lunch at the lodge or elsewhere.
6. Visit them and just chat about their service, their former job, sports, weather, and current events.
7. Phone them to check on how they are doing.
8. If you are adopting Homeless Veterans, have a continuous drive for clothing and comfort items.
9. Some may have computer access and email.
10. Drive member Adoptees to lodge meetings and other Lodge events.

#5 How much will this cost?
1. Maybe nothing!  The costs of the program are usually picked up by the individual doing the adopting. This would include cards, postage or small comfort gifts. Larger gifts can be funded through parties, raffles, 50/50's, donations by individuals or lodge groups as the PER’s or Ladies.

#6 Where can I get additional help or more information?
1. Adopt-A-Vet chairman Stew Israel - 734-455-4567
2. Elks National Veterans Service Commission Manual

GENERAL THOUGHTS IDEAS AND NOTES

Some lodges visit the Adoptees and send cards, some have a visiting committee the go periodically to the Hospital or nursing home. How many of your members or spouses go to a nursing home on a regular basis anyway to see a family member or even work at a facility? Ask them to pop in and say hi to the adopted Veteran. Have Church outreach committees adopt. Encourage school teachers to adopt for community service for the students, English teachers could do a letter writing unit to the adoptees. History teachers could assign oral history gathering. Ladies Auxiliaries could have their own adopting or Veterans committee to send cards and visit nursing homes and hospitals. Sponsor color tours, boat rides, Christmas gift, and homeless Veteran collections. They can visit the lodge for dinners, lunches, picnics and special parties. Some VA Hospitals have Domiciliary units. These are for homeless and maybe adopted as a group with similar activities as nursing home units. Gifts should be comfort items. VA hospitals don’t want glass, alcohol or sharp items. Check with the Hospital Chairperson. Say thank You to the Adoptee for guaranteeing our freedom and way of life. This should be a labor of Love. Love of God, Love of Country, and Love of the Elks.

Exalted Rulers, at the Grand Lodge convention you promised So long as there are Veterans, The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them. I will hold you to that promise, and your proof will be the Veteran Remembrance Report due in January. Please make sure it is turned in on time.


Stew Israel - 734-455-4567
Grand Lodge Adopt-A-Vet Chairman