Elks Lodge Funds Winter Clothing for Missoula Students

Missoula Hell Gate Elks Lodge #383 contributed nearly $15,000 so students in Missoula County Public Schools can get winter clothing this season.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Philanthropy

Photograph of a neat stack of folded winter coats and knit hats on a pale wooden table, with small snow boots beside them and pine-covered hills visible through a window. — Missoula Hell Gate Elks Lodge #383 gave nearly $15,000 to Missoula County Public Schools this week so students can receive winter clothing. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should local charities be responsible for providing winter clothing to students in your community?

Missoula Hell Gate Elks Lodge #383 gave nearly $15,000 to Missoula County Public Schools for student clothing, with $9,500 of that coming from the Elks National Foundation. Community liaisons distributed new winter clothing to students at the district office on Thursday.

Why it matters

Elks Lodge leaders said students without appropriate clothing may not be fully present in class or able to take part in outdoor activities. The donation gives Missoula schools a way to address that gap through private, individualized support.

Nearly $15,000 was contributed this season, with $9,500 of that amount funded by the Elks National Foundation. Hundreds of clothing items will be provided to students, though the total number of students served was not reported.

The players

Missoula Hell Gate Elks Lodge #383

A local chapter of the Elks fraternal service organization that funded the clothing donation for Missoula students.

Missoula County Public Schools

The public school district serving Missoula, Montana, which received the donation and distributed the clothing through its community liaisons.

Elks National Foundation

The philanthropic arm of the Elks organization that provided $9,500 of the nearly $15,000 total.

The details

Community liaisons selected brand-new clothing to fit classroom needs and offered it to students in private. Teachers and staff refer students to the liaisons when they need winter coats, and at the elementary level liaisons pull students from class, recess, or another convenient time.

Thursday: clothing distribution held at the Missoula County Public Schools district office.
This winter: hundreds of clothing items keep students warm.

Philanthropy Context

The Missoula gift is an instance of a local Elks lodge combining its own fundraising with a grant from the Elks National Foundation to meet a specific community need. Such partnerships let national philanthropic dollars reach individual school districts directly.

Families in Missoula County Public Schools can ask teachers or staff to refer students who need winter coats, and liaisons will provide clothing privately. Parents and community members interested in similar support can contact their school's community liaison to learn how donations are used.

The takeaway

Donations that reach students privately, through trusted staff, can remove barriers that keep children from fully participating in school. Local giving paired with national grants can make that support possible for more students.