Fairfield Elks holds luncheon Sunday, collects goods for vets

FAIRFIELD – The Fairfield Elks Lodge No. 1192 is holding a couple of fundraisers this month.

One of them is a soup and sandwich luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Elks Lodge on the west side of the Fairfield Square. The Elks will serve four different soups. The event is free for any veteran or active-duty military member, and for the rest of the public, a free-will offering will be accepted.

Doug Bagby of the Fairfield Elks said the dining facilities are large enough to accommodate social distancing, but the club will offer carry out and curbside service for those who would rather eat elsewhere. Residents can call 641-680-0753 to order ahead of time.

Masks are mandatory to enter the building but not while sitting at a table. The money raised from the event will go toward the Elks' local programs.

The Fairfield Elks is also holding a drive to collect clothes and other items for the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, which serves over 400 veterans. The Elks have set up donation boxes at businesses throughout Fairfield to collect items the veterans need.

Donations will be accepted until Sunday, Nov. 22, and delivered the week of Thanksgiving. Residents can also stop at the customer service desk at Fairfield Hy-Vee and donate a gift card.

Items donated must be new, not used. Among those requested are long-sleeve undershirts, men's tennis shoes, men's and women's sweatshirts and pants, men's and women's coats, bathroom items such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shaving cream, body lotion, cologne, and other miscellaneous items such as candy bars, soda pop, puzzles and handheld electronic games.

Participating businesses that have a donation box are:

' Fairfield Hy-Vee

' Jefferson County Real Estate

' Davis & Palmer Real Estate

' Elite Tire & Auto

' Jefferson County Health Center

For more information on the donation drive, call 641-233-8294.

Bagby said that serving veterans has been part of the Elks' mission statement dating back to World War I.

'As long as there are veterans, the Elks will never forget them,” Bagby said.

Bagby said the veterans at the home in Marshalltown have not been allowed visitors since March, just like other nursing homes that have had to limit contact with the outside world because of the coronavirus pandemic. These donations are a way to remind the veterans that people care about them.

Bagby noted that the Elks perform other services for veterans, such as collecting deer hides, having them tanned, and donating them to veteran homes across the nation. The hides can be turned into moccasins and wheelchair gloves.

Any veteran in Jefferson County can receive a free pair of leather wheelchair gloves by contacting the Elks.