The weather was hardly fit for man or beast Saturday.
Try telling that to some good-hearted Elks.
Several Iola Elks Lodge No. 569 members braved the weekend’s approaching winter storm, and handed out 37 food baskets to families in need throughout Allen County.
The annual endeavor has been a community fixture for 40 years or longer — nobody is certain when it started — but it remains one of the most popular events of the year for those involved.
“The feeling is great,” said Teresa Grewing, one of Saturday’s organizers. “I remember last year we had an 8-year-old girl who started crying when we showed up with the food.”
“They didn’t want toys,” fellow Elks member Linda Sigg added. “They wanted food.”
The food baskets (technically boxes) are stuffed with groceries, including a ham, eggs, milk, bread, butter, potatoes and an array of other food staples such as macaroni and cheese and pancake mix.
“We also have a lot of fruit, peanut butter, things like that for kids to eat if they’re alone.”
The Elks ventured to Humboldt early Saturday morning to pick up about $1,500 worth of groceries for the endeavor.
From there, they returned to the Elks lodge in downtown Iola to sort and prepare the food baskets for delivery.
Many of those in need are invited to pick up the food themselves. Elks members delivered the rest to those unable to travel.
The effort is paid for through a series of fundraisers throughout the year, usually through weekly meals at the Elks Lodge.
The Elks support a number of area projects aside from the food baskets.
The lodge raised more than $3,000 to support a youth wrestling team with a pie auction.
“They were really good pies,” Sigg said with a chuckle.
The recipients usually are nominated by Elks members, who ask around during the holiday season to find those in need of help.
“We’ll go the schools and ask if they know of some families we can help as well,” Sigg said.
Check lists taped to each box are in place to ensure each is sufficiently filled before it’s given away.
At the bottom of each list is a saying that illustrates why so many ventured out into the freezing, nasty weather: “Elks Care — Elks Share.”
A helping hand: Iola Elks reach out to those in need
