South Plainfield Elks Lodge Boosts Literacy with Dictionary and Book Donations

South Plainfield Elks Lodge Boosts Literacy with Dictionary and Book Donations

As part of their long-standing commitment to literacy, the South Plainfield Elks Lodge #2298 in New Jersey recently distributed nearly 300 student dictionaries and copies of Freckle Juice by Judy Blume to third graders across five local schools.

The initiative, part of The Dictionary Project, introduced students to far more than word definitions—offering lessons in history, math, geography, and even sign language. Lodge members also shared fun facts like the longest word in the English language.

This year’s donation also honored Karen Minutella, an Elks member whose memory lives on through the Karen Minutella Reading Initiative, founded in 2017 to promote literacy among children.

Books were delivered to Franklin School, John E. Riley School, John F. Kennedy School, Roosevelt School, and Holy Savior Academy. Additional copies were gifted to school libraries and classrooms.

Since 2009, the lodge has donated more than 3,500 dictionaries, supporting early literacy and a love of reading in South Plainfield’s youngest learners.