MONTICELLO, NY — Monticello Elks Lodge #1544 filled 80 boxes of food, including canned hams, for local Veterans in time for the holidays. Veterans from across Sullivan County who picked up the boxes at the lodge for delivery included Al Russell, Zachery Jones, Vinny Iannacone, Matt Kleman, Hugo Ramirez, Art Flynn, Bill Pearson, Helmut Wilhelm and George Haas. Al Russell and Elk Robyn Watwood placed a three-pound canned ham in each box. An additional 16 hams were donated to the Caring Hands Food Pantry at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Monticello.

The club also provided coats, hats and gloves for 100 elementary school children in the Monticello and Fallsburg school districts. 

The funding for the food is from a $2,000 Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant and the funding for the coats is from a $4,000 Elks Beacon Grant. The lodge recently also donated $2,000 to the Federation for the Homeless.