Veterans Activities


"So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them."



Tampa Elks 708 Lodge has two distinct Veteran committees: the Veteran Affairs Veteran Service Commission (VAVCS), which is a Grand Lodge Program, and our Tampa Elks 708 Lodge Veterans Committee.

The VAVCS consists of a VA Representative and up to three Deputies who work exclusively with the James A Haley VAMC. They have funding from Grand Lodge, and report to the Grand Lodge and the Voluntary Services Department for the VA. Members of Tampa Lodge are often asked to help them with their duties, going out to the James A Haley VAMC in Temple Terrace to serve refreshments, calling bingo, distributing small gifts or other light duties when supervised by the VAVCS appointee.

The Tampa Elks 708 Lodge Veterans Committee is active and meets once a month to plan activities like hosted dinners at the lodge for sheltered veterans, offsite activities for sheltered veterans, and dinners and activities for members of Tampa Elks 708 that have served or are serving in the US military. Our meetings are held on the fourth Monday of the month at 6:30pm in the banquet hall.

The Lodge Veterans Committee is presently working with four local shelters that provide transitional housing to veterans.

  • Tampa VA Domiciliary - An outreach program of the VA, the Domiciliary houses up to 32 homeless male and female veterans in their Tampa Heights facility.
  • Liberty Manor for Veterans - A private charity run almost exclusively on donations. Their Temple Terrace intake building is a boarding house structure that can house up to 16 veterans.
  • New Beginnings of Tampa - New Beginnings is a rehabilitation facility that also serves non-veterans but usually has at least 30 beds reserved for veterans.
  • The Salvation Army Red Shield Cente - Their Tampa Heights facility offers shelter and rehabilitation services and has about 30 Veterans at any given time.



    • One of the most visible Lodge committee activities is inviting sheltered veterans to the Lodge for dinner or special events. Socialization skills are an important part of the training for reintegration into society, and socializing is something for which the Elks are particularly qualified. When you see a group of veterans in the dining room, stop by the table and introduce yourself. You may make a new friend. We also appreciate the members' support for the off-site activities that we provide for our sheltered veterans, like the annual Fun Boat tour of the Hillsborough River followed by lunch at Rick's on the River.

    In 2024-25, we were successful in securing an Elks National Foundation Spotlight Adopt-A-Haven grant and an Elks National Foundation Gratitude grant which we used to significantly improve the quality of life for sheltered veterans in the Greater Tampa Bay area.

    To recognize the contributions of Tampa Elks 708 members that serve or served in the US military, a special meal is prepared by the Lodge Veterans Committee for our current and former servicemen and women on Veterans Day weekend. We have also sponsored their participation in local sporting events, including Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Lightning games.

    If you are interested in serving those who served, you can contact our Lodge Veterans Committee by emailing us at TampaElks708VetsCommittee@gmail.com, or just showing up at our monthly meeting.