Middlesboro Elks Lodge #119 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks recently partnered with Friends of the Bell County Animal Shelter (FOS) and Lighthouse Ministries Center to help provide pet food to low-income families and individuals in Bell County.

The Elks Lodge donated $4,000 directly to FOS to be used to supplement their already existing program of providing pet food year-round to the Lighthouse Ministries Center, who then distributes it monthly to people in need. FOS is an all-volunteer animal welfare organization, while the Lighthouse Ministries, a non-profit faith-based social service organization, provides support to low-income people with their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

Many low-income people in Bell County who own companion animals live on fixed incomes, and in order to properly feed them, are forced to spend a disproportionate share of their income for pet food than do those with higher incomes. By providing assistance to these people with the ever-increasing expense of pet food, more of their income is available for other necessities such as food for themselves, utilities, rent, etc. The elderly and disabled who live alone with a companion/emotional support animal would be especially devastated to have to part with an animal, their only companion, because they could no longer afford to feed it, and help with doing so was not available. This reportedly happens from time to time in Bell County.

Middlesboro Elks Lodge is glad they could partner with these two great organizations in providing assistance to those in need. The donation was made possible by a grant to the Middlesboro Lodge by the Elks National Foundation with headquarters in Chicago.