Southwest District Army of Hope Committee

District Chair:
Nelson Rivera - #848
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Lodge Chairs:
Trenton #105 - Terry Haremza, PDDGER
Mount Holly #848 - Donna McCourt
Hightstown #1955 - Jeff Bernas
Bordentown #2085 - Hank Elmer, PDDGER
Hamilton #2262 - Rose Romaine, PDDGER
New Egypt #2457 - Stan Reynolds, PDDGER
Marlton #2514 - Thomas Wilson
Edgewater Park #2550 - Jack Joyce, PER
Deptford #2708 - Jessica Haib, PER

Committee Meeting Schedule

Meetings are generally on the third Thursday of the month and begin at 7:30PM unless otherwise specified.
For specific information and meeting locations, click here for the district meeting schedule.

Army of Hope Committee Mission Statement

The mission of the Army of Hope Committee is to provide compassionate support and assistance to members of the military, veterans, wounded warriors, and their families during times of hardship and need. Through the generosity and dedication of New Jersey Elks, the Committee works to ensure that those who have sacrificed in service to our nation receive encouragement, relief, and hope. By promoting awareness, fundraising, and outreach efforts, the Committee upholds the Elks' commitment to patriotism, charity, and service to our nation's heroes.

A Message from the National Veterans Service Commission Army of Hope

The “Army of Hope” was implemented to provide support to the families of our military reservists and guardsmen who were called up for active duty during our country’s war on terrorism. Although originally conceived for reservists and guardsmen, there is nothing that would prevent Lodges from offering support to the families of servicemen and women serving regular military duty.

The first step is to contact the Members of your Lodge and see who is interested in supporting this program, their availability, and what skills they have to offer. Create a call list broken down by skills. The Lodge may have to evaluate funding resources for certain projects if the need should arise (i.e., gasket, paint, etc.).

The second step is for someone from your Lodge to make contact with your local reserve or guard units. Most of the time, this can be handled by a simple telephone call to the unit’s headquarters. You need to speak to someone in authority (usually the Public Affairs Officer) and explain to them who you are and what the program is about. You may also offer to join in with them on their own support group or even another organization. Not every Lodge will be able to offer all the support necessary, but you should try and do what you can.

Once contact is made with your reserve or guard unit, make sure your Lodge office staff of Lodge helpers know about the program and can forward questions to the correct individuals.

Information articles in your Lodge newsletter can help keep the “Army of Hope” Program in the forefront of your Lodge and community service activities. The “Army of Hope” also fits perfectly with our efforts in the Blue Star Program. What better way to recognize our servicemen and women than presenting a Blue Star Flag to their families?

As you work with the families of our service people, please report your activities to Mike Manning who is located at our Chicago office. Additionally, your activities should be recorded in the Lodge Annual Charity Records Booklet.

Fraternally,

Roger R. True, PGER, Member Elks National Veterans Service Commission