Exalted Ruler’s Report – December 2022

December 1, 2022 | Exalted Ruler

Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. It is happiness because we see joy in people. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. It’s discarding the meaningless and stressing the true values.”
– Thomas S. Monson

Many people refer to Christmas as a season, but at the Honolulu Elks Lodge we keep Christmas in our hearts all year long. Our dedicated volunteers have been working all year to bring comfort and joy to our members and community.

This year, including events to be held this month, your lodge has:
• collected more than 700 pounds of food for the Hawaii Food Bank,
• delivered two SUVs full of backpacks and school supplies for ninety homeless children at Pu’uhale School,
• delivered school supplies and backpacks to IHS for additional homeless children,
• supplied 80 pairs of slippers for sheltered keiki from Kahauiki village, Kahauiki Village is a permanent supportive housing community for formerly homeless households.
• donated $10,000 to Aunty Carmen’s kitchen to feed the hungry,
• donated funds to repair broken commercial washing machines at Kahauiki Village,
• celebrated our 616 veterans with a Veterans Day event for them in their honor,
• Donated $1700 to the BSA Aloha council,
• Cooked, packed and distributed 800 bentos over 2 days at the Oceanfest Keiki Surf competition,
• Collected bags of toys for the Marine Toys for Tots drive,
• Wrote and sent Mahalo cards to the veterans at Maunalani Nursing and Rehabilitation Center,
• Held a picnic, pool, and paddling day at our Lodge for Wounded Warrior Ohana veterans,
• Hosted Awards events for notable community heroes and volunteers,
• Purchased and donated $5,000 in housing supplies for 9 previously homeless veterans transitioning to new homes and jobs – items included everything from dishes and pots and pans, to microwaves, lamps, fans, shower curtains, and linen,
• Hosted a luncheon for the recently homed veterans,
• Donated $5,000 to the Alzheimer Association, Hawaii Chapter,
• Held two park clean-up days for our adopted park,
• As part of the Holiday parade commemorating the bombing of Pearl Harbor, we decorated and rode a trolley and walked the parade route distributing candy canes and American flags.
• Promoted our Drug awareness program with gifts to keiki in our community,
• In December, will be giving Christmas gifts to 20 needy Leahi Home residents,
• In December, will be hosting a pizza party with gifts for children at the Kahauiki Village,
• In December, Will be donating additional school supplies to IHS children for spring semester,
• In December, Will be giving Toys to IHS children for Christmas,
• Our lodge and members have donated over $60,000 to our local Speech Therapy program,
• Our Lodge and members have donated over $50,000 to our ENF charity for scholarships and veterans services.

In addition to these community based charitable activities, our dedicated core of committee volunteers has worked to give to our members by staging multiple events such as
• Easter party for our Keiki,
• Activities table for our keiki on Mother’s Day, Fathers Day, Member appreciation day,
• Paddling experience events at the Lodge,
• Yoga, Tai Chi, Chair Yoga and Aqua Exercise classes
• Opportunity drawings,
• Patriotic events, Flag Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Veterans Day,
• Annual Bingo event,
• Decorate the Lodge for the various holidays,
• Decorate and build seating for our Peace Garden,
• In December, we will hold a keiki Christmas Party at the Lodge,
• In December, we will sponsor a city lights trolley ride.

All these events are carried out by the committees of the Lodge. On the fifth page of this newsletter you can see the names of all the committee chairs.

I thank them all for their unselfish gifts of time and talent, and celebrate them throughout the year.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

E Hana Kākou

Let’s work together

Gloria Yau

Exalted Ruler

“For it is in giving that we receive.”
– Francis of Assisi