Maine Elks Association

Public Relations Committee Newsbriefs -10/25/07

Maine Elks Association Newsbriefs

Veterans Housing Coalition of Maine Requests Support

At the Maine Elks Association Trustee Meeting on October 21, 2007, representatives from the Veterans Housing coalition of Maine made a presentation and requested the support of the Maine Elks Association.

The Veterans Housing Coalition of Maine is a non-profit organization that is focused on providing senior, retired, and handicapped veterans, their spouses, dependants, and Gold Star Parents with affordable housing. According to the coalition, over 70% of Maine’s 150,000 veterans are estimated to be senior, retired, or handicapped. Because Maine is experiencing a widespread shortage of affordable homes, the veterans are often unable to secure adequate and affordable shelter.

The organization is currently working to renovate Hedin Hall, a surplus state office building in Bangor, to develop it into seventeen 1-2 bedroom units. Another project is located in Farmingdale, according to MEA Veterans/National Service Director Tom Elliott of the Brunswick Lodge. The organization plans to fund the renovation of the building through Federal and State Grants, tax credits, and funding from private foundations and support from organizations such as the Maine Elks Association and area Veteran groups.

“So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them,” is the motto of the Elks Veterans/National Service Committee. For more information on the Veteran Housing Coalition of Maine, or to make a contribution, the address is as follows: Veterans Housing Coalition of Maine, P.O. Box 604, Brunswick, ME 04011.

November is Veterans Remembrance Month

Tom Elliott, the Maine Elks Association’s Veterans/National Service Director has begun distributing donation cards to Lodges across the state. These cards can be purchased for $1.00 (or more if desired), and hung up in a prominent place within the Lodge, along with other contributors. The donation cards are red, white, and blue, and shouldn’t be missed. According to Elliott, 100% of the money raised will be used for the benefit of veterans, and this year, the money raised will go toward a Trolley Bus, that will be used to transport veterans around the campus of the Togus VA Medical Center. Members are encouraged to purchase these donation cards, living up to the Elks motto of “So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them.” If your Lodge does not have these cards available, contact Tom Elliott at 207-442-8075.

Also, Elliott pointed out that the Togus VA’s Voluntary Services department is in need of volunteers to serve in the area of the Care Coordination Home TeleHealth (CCHT Program) at the medical center in Augusta. This program connects care providers with their patients in rural areas of Maine. Therefore, the veterans can manage their health directly from their homes without having to travel to a VA facility.

Specifically, volunteers would be meeting with patients within their homes and helping them set up and troubleshoot any potential problems with the Telehealth home devices. If any questions or problems arise, the volunteer will have immediate support from their supervisor. The supervisor will also notify the volunteers when they are needed in their local community. These devices are simple to use, and the volunteer will also be given complete instruction on the setup procedure. Essentially anyone can do it.

If you would like to volunteer for this program in your community, or want additional information about the Telehealth program, please contact Lindsey Jackson, the Americorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), by phone at (207) 623-8411, or by email at lindsey.jackson@va.gov

If you have news or information of interest to the members of the Maine Elks Association, please send your articles to Public Relations Director Wayne Cotterly at meapr@fairpoint.net for inclusion in the MEA Calendar, Newsbriefs, and/or Website. Also, if you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please send an e-mail to Public Relations Director Wayne Cotterly at meapr@fairpoint.net. In addition, if you know of someone who would like to be added to this list, please have them forward their e-mail address to the same address. All information provided has been read and approved by the MEA State President