Bill Neessen
Elk of the Year, POY, Public Relations Chairman
Posts: 2619
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Posted on: Jul. 03 2021,3:51 pm |
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The Drug Awareness Program is a very important part of our Lodge’s involvement with our city. This program strives to teach kids and parents about the dangers of illegal drug use and prevent the abuse of legalized and prescription drugs. During the last several years the Orange Lodge has won several awards at our National Conventions.
In Orange we are involved with GRIP (Gang Reduction Intervention Partnership). The aim of the program to increase their school attendance and decrease their chances of joining a gang.
The GRIP kids are between 8 and 12 years old, they are pre-selected to participate in the program, they can be struggling in the classroom, can have poor attendance, can have behavioral issues and can have truancy issues. The program is free to the kids. The neighborhoods these kids live in are heavily influenced by criminal street gangs and the kids are in constant fear of random violence and crimes that are committed by the gang members. The kids can be terrorized by gang members and usually have low self-confidence or limited hope for their futures.
GRIP wants to make a commitment to change their lives! Once in the program, the kids make and set goals and must show improvement to stay in the program. This soccer camp helps the kids escape this.
Our lodge is involved with OCGRIP that includes law enforcement officers, probation officers, district attorneys, prosecutors, lawyers, and social workers.
One of our members is Orange Police Department Chief Tom Kisela.
A popular way to honor a retiring individual is a ‘Clap Out’. It is a unique way to say Thank You! That is exactly what the Orange Elks and OCGRIP did to honor and say Thanks to Tom.
L – R
Theresa Charity, Bill Neessen, Danny Salas, Steve Cearly, Tom Kisela, Rick Ellifritt, Jorge Cortez, Janine Strom & Linda Salas
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