BY GINNY PRIVITAR
WEST MILFORD — Kim Powell knows how to take care of people. Whether it’s helping the Elks Club to raise money for the special kids it supports with vacations at Camp Moore, or visiting her ill mother-in-law, or cooking her great lasagna or volunteering as a waitress at the Friday night dinners at the Elks Club, Powell shows her generosity and compassion every day.
As chairperson of the Special Children’s Committee of the West Milford Elks, Powell’s duties include receiving applications for camp, organizing the toy drive and charity ball and delivering the Elks annual scholarship of $1,500 each to a boy and girl at the high school.
The main focus for Elks is special children: kids with Down’s Syndrome, autism and other special needs. The North New Jersey District Elks maintain Camp Moore, with buildings for children from each lodge. Clubs from all over New Jersey send kids to Camp Moore. There they can enjoy a week of summer vacation and also have access to one-on-one counseling. Last year, the West Milford Elks club sent 15 kids to Camp Moore and paid the $500 per child cost.
When parents leave their special needs child at the camp, they can get a little bit of a break for the other family members and plan a vacation around the child’s visit to camp. It gives the rest of the family the opportunity to do things they couldn’t do otherwise. The camp also has weekends for adult campers, age 21 and over, as they age out.
During the year, the club appoints an ambassador child who will participate in other lodge activities.
When members have a party or dinner, they bring their lodge’s ambassador along to all their activities, Powell said.
Every December, the Elks run a successful toy drive at Macopin School and the high school.
“When somebody needs something, we all band together,” Powell said. The West Milford Lodge is open to the public and charges $12 for the meal they host every Friday night.
On March 5, the Elks will be holding their charity ball at the lodge. Check the West Milford Elks facebook page for further details.
At this time, the club is doing a fundraiser. You can buy a brick for $100 in someone or a group’s name to be placed in the ground in a sprinkler park they’re building at the camp.
“It’s pretty amazing when you see what they do and who they are and that they’re there for everyone,” Powell said of the Elks. As for why she does what she does, she said, “I don’t know what it is; sometimes I just feel like I have a connection with people. (Others) think it’s a big deal, but I’m the one getting the reward, the satisfaction of helping these children.”
Kim Powell met her husband Billy in high school in South Plainfield where they both grew up. She was one of 10 children. What was it like to grow up with nine siblings?
“It was great — I had good times when I was a kid; we’re a close-knit family,” she said.
Her husband Billy is her co-chair on the Special Children’s Committee. Nephew and member Nick Konz just raffled off two Polaris RZR quad machines for the lodge. Powell and her husband have three children: son Ryan, 28 (also an Elks member); son Daniel, 25 and daughter Shannon, 24. When she’s not volunteering for the Elks, Powell works as an office manager in Wayne.
Powell adds that her husband bought tickets for the quad raffle for himself and for each of his 20 nieces and nephews. To everyone’s surprise, Billy himself was the winner and plans on upgrading his quad for a bigger and better one. Powell says he couldn’t believe it. Megan Vandalinda won the other quad.
Membership in the Elks has meant a lot to Powell.
“I just think that they’re my family — the Elks are my brothers and sisters."
The West Milford Elks Club is open from noon until around 11 p.m. during the week. They have free jukebox on Thursdays, and dinners on Friday nights, open to the public.
Powell advises others to join the Elks and participate.
“Do it — you’re going to enjoy it,” she said. “If you’re going to be an Elk, be an active Elk."
And now, Kim’s recipe for great lasagna
The West Milford Elks Lodge #2236is located at 1860 Union Valley Road. Call 973-728-2236 for more information about the group.