There was nothing U.S. Army Sgt. Sean McLaughlin could do for his family when the cooling and heating system started to break back at home. He was halfway around the world on deployment in Qatar, with the Army National Guard.
His wife, Joyce, had her hands full with three children, Chyenne, 10, Brooklynn, 3, and Brianna, 2. And the electric bill was going up, complicating their already-tight budget.
“(The hardest part) was knowing she had to do it on her own,” McLaughlin said. “It was our first time being separated. It’s very stressful.”
That stress only escalated when the family got stuck with a $3,700 price tag on a new HVAC system. That’s when the Plant City Elks Lodge 1727 got word that the family needed help.
On April 2, Leading Knight Judy Wise presented a $1,000 check at the lodge’s weekly dinner to help the family with costs.
“I don’t think there can ever be enough we can do for our service members,” Wise said.
In-between bouncing his two youngest daughters on his lap, McLaughlin accepted the checked and dined with the supportive Elks, who wanted to know his story. He’s a 15-year veteran and has been on three deployments — two to Iraq.
“This helps out a lot,” McLaughlin said.
Veterans are the primary focus for Lodge 1727. In the past year, the lodge also has helped another soldier, Sgt. Michael Smith, who struggled with housing costs after the Army adjusted his pay to the wrong county.
They participate in helping veterans through the Army of Hope Program. Established in 2007 by the Florida State Elks Association, its mission is to provide aid assistance to the families of deceased, disabled, and deployed members of the military. Different lodges have assisted with medical and dental emergencies, auto repairs, home repairs, phone cards and clothing and shoe donations. Since its inception, Army of Hope has raised $242,784 for families of deployed military members.
Throughout the year, Lodge 1727 holds many fundraising activities to benefit Army of Hope projects. Fundraisers range from golf tournaments to chili cook-offs. Around July 4, the lodge holds a Freedom Day, during which it sells barbecue chicken lunches. And on the first Saturday in May, the lodge holds Derby Day, complete with mock horse races. Derby Day raises about $2,000.
“A lot of people think the Elks is just a social club,” Wise said. “But we do a lot. We do things all year long. There’s always something going on to fund the people we help.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.