Blood drive

A Miller-Keystone blood drive is scheduled at the Western Pocono Community Library in Brodheadsville today beginning at noon.

For more information call the Miller-Keystone Allentown office at 610-820-0962.

Chestnuthill planners

The regular Chestnuthill Township Planning Commission meeting is at 7 p.m. today at the township municipal building in Brodheadsville.

Meeting canceled

Tonight’s Eldred Township Board of Supervisors meeting has been canceled. The next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 at the municipal building in Kunkletown.

Service tonight

St. Peter’s UMC, Saylorsburg, will have a Thanksgiving Eve service at 7:30 p.m. today.

Closed center

The Chestnuthill Senior Center, and all of the Monroe County Senior Centers, will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and Friday.

For Nov. 28, attendees can order tomato and beef casserole for their hot lunch meal.

Call the site manager by 11 a.m. the day before at 570-242-6770.

Thanksgiving Mass

Mass will be offered at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Gilbert.

Thanksgiving dinners

The American Legion Post 927 in Gilbert is hosting a free community traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings from noon to 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day for those in need.

For information, call Peggy at 610-681-5838.

Effort UMC will be holding its 14th annual free community Thanksgiving dinner starting at 2 p.m. on Thursday.

For information, call the church at 570-629-1890.

CJERP meeting

The Chestnuthill-Jackson-Eldred-Ross-Polk Regional Comprehensive meeting is at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Chestnuthill Township Municipal Building in Brodheadsville.

Breakfast fundraiser

A breakfast fundraiser will be held at St. Matthew’s UCC in Kunkletown in the fellowship hall from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

The menu includes scrambled eggs, pancakes, toast, sausage, fresh fruit, baked goods, juice and coffee. There will also be raffle prizes. Sunday school teachers, students and parents are needed to help in the kitchen, set up, clear tables and other tasks.

PVEN Angel Tree

Churches are preparing for their respective version of the Angel Tree which allows parishioners to pick and angel from the tree and then shop for the child in need from the Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network’s roster of families.

Effort UMC’s tree will be up to choose the child to whom they will be an angel and go shopping for.

Reservations due

Effort UMC will hold its family Christmas celebration, where Santa will be visiting the church family children, on Dec. 1.

Deadline for reservations is this Sunday, at the latest. There is limited room in Wesley Hall for the celebration.

Knit & Crochet

Zion Lutheran’s Knit & Crochet group will meet Tuesday, beginning at 1 p.m. in the parish hall.

Newcomers are welcome. Supplies are on hand.

Advent activity

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church is offering its families an Advent Family Night beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Come join us for a fun night of making your own Advent wreaths, decorating cookies, making an Advent ornament and learning about preparing for Advent. Participants are asked to email or call the office to register.

Lioness Club

The Western Pocono Lioness Club will meet at Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Brodheadsville.

West End Republicans

The next regular meeting of the West End Republican Club is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at The Lakeside Restaurant at 5154 S. Hamilton Blvd. in Saylorsburg.

The meeting is at 7 p.m., but those wishing to eat dinner there should come for 6 p.m. The club includes folks from Chestnuthill, Eldred, Polk, Hamilton, Jackson townships and other areas.

Lifesaving drive

With the weather and the many accidents, blood donations are sorely needed. The American Legion Post 927 in Gilbert will host an American Red Cross blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. Nov. 30. Both Power Red and regular blood donations will be accepted.

Pantry open house

The West End Food Pantry, at the Eldred Township Community Center on Kunkletown Road, is hosting an open house from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 30. The community is invited.

See what a food distribution looks like as all food/groceries will be set up for the distribution.

Folks will be guided through the pantry to simulate what a choice pantry is like.

Tours of the Eldred Community Center will also be available, including the thrift store.

Refreshments and laughs will be served up by pantry volunteers throughout the evening.

Christmas luncheon

Church Women United of Monroe County invites everyone to its Christmas covered-dish luncheon at noon on Dec. 1 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 9 N. Ninth St., Stroudsburg, which is serving as the host site.

Attendees are asked to use the back entrance.

For more information, call 570-629-0649.

Tree lighting

Ross Township invites residents to come to the annual tree lighting at the VanBuskirk/Haney Park in Saylorsburg at 4 p.m. Dec. 1.

The event will include singing Christmas carols around the tree and having some cookies and hot chocolate inside while waiting for Santa Claus to arrive on a fire truck and then listening to the wishes children have.

Families may bring a camera to take photos for pictures with Santa. Nonperishable food items for PVEN and new unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots will be collected.

PVEN toys

Last available appointment to sign up for Toys for Tots distribution at the Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network is Dec. 3.

PVEN partners with local churches, businesses and the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots program to bring joy to children across the West End and adjoining Monroe County townships. Families can sign up their kids from newborn to 17 for toys and special clothing requests.

All participants must preregister to participate in the program.

Call 570-992-3136 for a registration appointment. Times are limited, so it is imperative that those requesting help do not skip the appointment since the appointment may not be able to rescheduled. At this time, appointments can be scheduled for Nov. 26, 30 and Dec. 3.

All registration appointments will be at the new PVEN facility at 2334 Route 209, Sciota, PA 18354, about half a mile east of Chestnuthill Diner.

Car donations

Habitat for Humanity is accepting old vehicles to help its clients with needs by way of the proceeds of the sale of vehicles.

Go to Habitat’s Donation Wizard or call 877-277-4344; provide one’s vehicle information and contact information; and, schedule the vehicle pickup.

For help, email Monroe County Habitat at execdirector@habitatmc.org or call 877-277-4344.

Contact Adele Argot at 717-933-4028 or arargot3@verizon.net. Contact the Times News at 800-443-0377 or tneditor@tnonline.com.