Bend Elks bring Christmas joy – with lots of help
Hundreds of volunteers woke up bright and early on Christmas Eve to deliver Christmas baskets to families in need across Central Oregon.
For many families, Christmas just got a little brighter.
The Bend Elks and volunteers worked all month to make sure more than 300 families didn’t go hungry on this holiday.
It’s a holiday tradition the Bend Elks Lodge has been doing for more than 65 years.
“It actually warms your heart to do this every year,” volunteer Cameron Marsh said.
Many volunteers woke up at 6 in the morning to deliver a basket of joy.
“These families, they don’t have much. And you just deliver this food to them — it’s just an amazing feeling,” Marsh said.
Volunteers mapped out about 340 routes from Terrebonne to Chemult — no limit on the miles to deliver holiday cheer.
All the fixings for a perfect Christmas, including a spiral ham and a gallon of milk. Some of the food was donated by businesses around Central Oregon.
For some of these volunteers, it has been a tradition for several years.
For Army Private Tue Lee, it was his first time being back home after being stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas for six months.
“I just flew in last night — I just got home around midnight,” Lee said.
He surprised his family by just showing up at the front door, just in time for Christmas.
Volunteering at the Bend Elks Lodge has been a father-and-son tradition that he didn’t want to miss.
“I always do it. This is my fifth time we did for five years together,” Lee said.
For Lee, it’s about giving back to his community that gave him so many opportunities.
“I just enjoy it. It feels good, and I like helping people not only in the military but people back home,”
Toys were donated from the Toys for Tots organization and the Ladies of Elks. Some of the many organizations coming together for their community.
“It’s the greatest joy in the world,” said Elks member Jerry Sherman. “All of the volunteers that worked their bottoms off, we’re blessed for each and every one of them.”
