Meet the ENF Staff

Marcee Northey

Donor Services Manager

How long have you worked at the ENF?
I have worked at the ENF for just over seven years.

What projects are you/your department working on right now?
The Donor Services department is gearing up for the end of our fiscal year, which is just around the corner.

What’s your favorite part of working at the ENF?
My favorite part of my work with the ENF by far is speaking with Elks across the country. I love solving problems and speaking with them about what great things they are doing in their communities. I also really enjoy working with the Donor Services team. We work really hard but also enjoy our jobs.
 
Describe your average day at the ENF.
We say in the DS department that there is no average day, but we do have average weeks. As I mentioned earlier, communicating with Elks is part of that but also processing donations, updating records and reports, responding to requests, assisting the team with questions, and meeting with other departments comprise an average week here for me.

What are you looking forward to this year?
My husband and I purchased a house two years ago and this will be the first summer where we do not have a major fix-it project to do.  We built a deck last year and I’m looking forward to spending time outside enjoying it with family and friends—after this currently very difficult and snowy Chicago winter.

What’s one thing about you that might surprise people?
I’ve gone walleye fishing almost 40 summers in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I don’t always catch a lot but usually have a great “The one that got away” story for the trip.

What TV show do you never miss?
I am embarrassed to say that I watch too much TV. Two of my favorite programs are Scandal and Parenthood, which are on at the same time!

Elks Community Builder of the Week

Fountain Hills, Ariz., Lodge No. 2846

 

Veterans in need living in Fountain Hills, Ariz. know they can count on the Elks for support. Using an Elks National Foundation Gratitude Grant, Fountain Hills, Ariz., Lodge No. 2846 partnered with local VA hospitals to purchase and deliver household items, books, magazines and movies to veteran residents.

To let active military members know they have the support of the Elks at home and overseas, the Fountain Hills Elks also prepared gifts for those serving in Afghanistan.

Thanks to the Gratitude Grant, the Lodge gained seven new members and showed the community that the Elks are there for veterans in need.

“This project furthered our image as a force for positive change in the community,” says Community Investments Program Project Manager Max Love. “We are seen as an organization that can be counted on to support veterans and our military.”

Don’t miss the opportunity to serve your community with $2,000! Gratitude Grants, which help Lodges like Fountain Hills meet local needs, are available to Lodges that meet National President’s per-member goal for giving to the ENF before March 31, 2014. Click here to check your Lodge’s standing, then click here for more information about Gratitude Grants.

The Elks National Foundation helps Lodges serve their communities by offering $2,000 Gratitude Grants. Lodges are eligible to apply for Gratitude Grants after meeting the National President’s per-member goal for giving to the Foundation. To find out more about Gratitude Grants and the Community Investments Program, visit www.elks.org/enf/community.  

Elks Community Builder of the Week

Lake Sammamish, Wash., Lodge No. 1843

From Sochi to Washington, the world is focused on winter sports and Elks from Lake Sammamish, Wash., Lodge No. 1843 are going for the gold! Using an Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant, the Lodge partnered with the Cascade Snow Drifters Snowmobile Club to take local Wounded Warrior veterans on a snowmobiling trip through the mountains.

To warm up after the trip, Elks invited the vets to the Lodge for an evening of food and fellowship. Thanks to the Beacon Grant, the community is rooting for Team Elks!

“Our partnership with the Cascade Drifters has grown thanks to the Beacon Grant,” says Community Investments Program Project Manager Erica Sargeant. “Our Lodge plans to continue this project on a yearly basis.”

Don’t miss the opportunity to serve your community with $2,000! Beacon Grants, available to every Lodge, help Lodges like Lake Sammamish hold ongoing, Elks-led charitable projects. Don’t wait! Applications for 2013-14 Beacon Grants are due on March 31, 2014. For more information about Beacon Grants and to access the online application, visit www.elks/org/enf/community/BeaconGrants.cfm.

Through Beacon Grants, the Elks National Foundation gives Lodges the opportunity to develop an ongoing, charitable, Elks-driven community project. These $2,000 grants are available to all Lodges. To find out more about Beacon Grants and the Community Investments Program, visit www.elks.org/enf/community.

Home for the Holidays: An Elks Scholar Reflection

By Most Valuable Student Scholar Matthew Ramos

My name is Matthew J. Ramos and I am a 2013 ENF Most Valuable Student recipient. While home for the holidays I assisted my sponsoring Elks Lodge—Carmichael, Calif., Lodge No. 2103—with its annual holiday basket event. On the morning of December 22, I arrived at the Lodge at 8 a.m. eager and willing to help put together boxes of food that would distributed to families within our community. I meet with Mr. Murray, the Project Coordinator, and he introduced me to several of the other Elks and gave me an overview of the process. It was like a fine-tuned machine. There were rows of boxes on tables, and stacks of flour, sugar, canned goods and fresh produce all around the sides of the room. We had carts to carry the items to the boxes and each box was labeled with the number of adults and children in the family.

We got busy and filled more than 125 boxes in less than two hours. When the individuals and families arrived, they were signed in and then it was time to locate their boxes and help them to their vehicles. Each family received 10 lbs. of potatoes, several onions, a stalk of celery, sugar, flour, biscuits, butter, gravy, pasta, canned goods and a turkey for a wonderful holiday dinner and beyond. There were also toys, stuffed animals and games for the children. Those 125 boxes helped to feed more than 600 people.

It was nice to be home for the holidays with family and friends, but participating with the Elks to bring the holiday spirit to others in our community was definitely a highlight for me.

I am attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and have connected with other Elks scholars on campus. We helped the local Lodge with its haunted house at Halloween and assisted with the college visitation night this fall. It has been really nice to have the opportunity to provide service to others while establishing myself in my new surroundings. I am very happy to be included in the Elks family wherever I may be.

Matthew Ramos
2013 Most Valuable Student Scholar
Sponsored by, Carmichael, Calif., Lodge No. 2103

Meet the ENF Staff

Sandy Supancic

Office Assistant

Sandy's afternoon project--scanning checks
from today's mail!

How long have you worked at the ENF?
I have been at the Foundation for 33 years and 5 months. I am hoping to hold the record for the longest employee here.

What projects are you/your department working on right now?
At this time of the year, we are working on posting the donations to our donors’ accounts. As everyone knows, the end of the fiscal year is approaching quickly. I balance the mail, scan the checks, stamp them, and make sure all is ready to be worked on by the Donor Services Department. I also order all office supplies for the office, do address changes and Lodge transfers, and help out where it’s needed.

What’s your favorite part of working at the ENF?
I enjoy working with volunteers, donors and my co-workers. Being here as long as I have, I know the good the Foundation does. I’ve been on the working side and the Elks side. My nephew was a Lodge Hoop Shoot winner at the age of 8. My Lodge, Chicago Northshore, Ill., Lodge No. 1316, has had the top Most Valuable Student scholarship winner, Joanne Dynak, in 2012. I’ve seen the different projects that have been done because of what the Foundation has given out. It’s a lot like having your cake and eating it too.

Describe your average day at the ENF.
I arrive at 8:30 a.m. and log on. Before 9 a.m. approaches I usually have the mail. I sort it and hand it out to the correct departments. I balance the Donor Services Department mail. This mail is then stamped and put into parts. It is then scanned and deposited in our accounts. Some days it takes the whole day just to do this. By later afternoon I handle the other things.

What are you looking forward to this year?
This year I am taking on a Junior Trustee position for the North district, with the help and support of my husband, Brian. We are both Elks and enjoy helping our community.

What’s one thing about you that might surprise people?
I was only 19 when I started here. I have been an Elk for the last 13 years. Throughout these years I have gotten most of my immediate family to join. If I am lucky, in three more years, I will have my triplet nephews joining also. My nephew Charlie is following in his aunt’s footsteps. He likes to help with the kids. Both Brian and I have put the National Foundation and the Children’s Care Corporation in our will. We believe in what the Elks do.

What TV show do you never miss?
At our house, Brian and I don’t have much time for TV, but I would have to say it would be Dancing with the Stars. I enjoy watching people who know how to dance. I’m not very good on my feet. Brian is better than I am.

Elks Community Builder of the Week

Coshocton, Ohio, Lodge No. 376

 

For the Elks in Coshocton, Ohio, family safety is a number one priority. Using an Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant, Coshocton, Ohio, Lodge No. 376 partnered with the local fire department to provide smoke detectors and home safety tips for families without smoke detectors in their homes.

“Coshocton has many families in need,” says Community Investments Program Project Manager Marilyn Griffis. “We were able to give supplies and support to community members whose homes lacked smoke detectors.”

The Beacon Grant project raised the Lodge’s profile in the community, motivating some of the local firefighters to join the Lodge.

“The fire department was overjoyed to help with this event,” says Griffis. “The community got to see how the Elks are interested in helping those in need.”

Don’t miss the opportunity to serve your community with $2,000! Beacon Grants, available to every Lodge, help Lodges like Coshocton hold ongoing, Elks-led charitable projects. Don’t wait! Applications for 2013-14 Beacon Grants are due on March 31, 2014. For more information about Beacon Grants and to access the online application, visit www.elks/org/enf/community/BeaconGrants.cfm.

Through Beacon Grants, the Elks National Foundation gives Lodges the opportunity to develop an ongoing, charitable, Elks-driven community project. These $2,000 grants are available to all Lodges. To find out more about Beacon Grants and the Community Investments Program, visit www.elks.org/enf/community.

Elks Community Builder of the Week

Van Wert, Ohio, Lodge No. 1197

Up, up and away! Using an Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant, Elks from Van Wert, Ohio, Lodge No. 1197 partnered with the Van Wert hospital, local senior homes, local support groups for people with disabilities, and the Van Wert Regional Airport to provide hot air balloon rides for community members with special needs.

The Elks stayed grounded, helping riders in and out of the wheelchair accessible balloon and offering food and friendship to guests.

Thanks to the Beacon Grant, the Elks were able to connect with local organizations and give community members in need an uplifting, memorable experience.

“This is my first time in a balloon,” says local nursing home resident Rita Clapp. “My whole family came to watch!”

Through Beacon Grants, the Elks National Foundation gives Lodges the opportunity to develop an ongoing, charitable, Elks-driven community project. These $2,000 grants are available to all Lodges. To find out more about Beacon Grants and the Community Investments Program, visit www.elks.org/enf/community.