Monthly services

The West End Fire Company responded to 32 incidents in September. This is a 14 percent increase over 2019. The incident total for 2020 so far is 394, reports Chief Don Zipp.

Senior food

In light of the pandemic, the county’s senior centers are temporarily closed.

However, the Monroe County Area Agency on Aging is now able to offer frozen meals to seniors if they are in need of food.

Frozen meals can be picked up at the senior center one would normally attend on a weekly basis.

Should a Senior Center attendee be in need of food, that senior should contact the Loder Senior Center at 570-420-3745. That center is overseeing the food ordering for all of the senior centers.

Home Association

The American Legion Post 927 Home Association will meet at 7:30 tonight at the post home in Gilbert.

For more information, call Phil Fronceck at 610-681-5838.

Board of Education

The Pleasant Valley School District Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in the District Office in Brodheadsville.

Donation breakfast

McMichaels UMC is slated to have a donation-only breakfast this Saturday. All meals are served in a to-go container brought to your car.

All safety precautions will be taken. Masks and gloves will be worn. All in the community are welcome.

Effort pantry

The Supplemental Food Pantry at Effort UMC will be open from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. It is following the CDC’s guidelines, for and with its volunteers and the clients.

Anyone with questions may call the church at 570-629-1890.

The pantry is in need of pasta. Donations may be dropped off at the church, but a phone call to make sure someone is there to receive the donation is requested.

Services resumed

Effort UMC is now holding in-person services at 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Sundays. Preregistration to attend services are recommended as the church has an inside capacity of 25, as per the CDC and state guidelines.

Registration is open on Thursdays 8:30 a.m. to 11:59 a.m. and Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and before the Sunday service.

Register by going to effortumc.org and clicking on the service one would like to attend.

Riders meet

The Riders monthly meeting will be held at the Gilbert Legion at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. For more information, contact Everett Shaver at everett.shaver@Yahoo.com

UMW to meet

Effort UMC’s United Methodist Women will meet for the first time in months. The leadership notes it will be a bit different due to COVID-19. Attendees are reminded to wear a mask and to social distance. The meeting is Monday in Wesley Hall at 7 p.m.

SAL meeting

Sons of the American Legion will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at the Legion Hall in Gilbert.

For more information contact Jimmy Nugent at 917-217-1387.

Touch of Home

Operation: Touch of Home is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the American Legion Post Home in Gilbert.

Auxiliary meeting

The American Legion Auxiliary is slated to meet at 7 p.m. Oct. 14, at the Legion Post home in Gilbert. The executive leadership will meet at 6 p.m.

Garlic planting

The Garden of Giving in Saylorsburg (McMichaels) will be doing its garlic planting on Oct. 17. Anyone interested in helping can call the Garden at 570-402-1282.

Bird seed sale

Monroe County Conservation District’s Environmental Education Center has scheduled its Truckload Wild Bird Seed Sale for Oct. 24.

Ordering deadline is Oct. 15. Obtain a complete order form by calling the center at 570-629-3061 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. most Saturdays. Download the order form from the website: www.mcconservation.org.

Early Halloween

Effort UMC Missions Committee will be holding a drive-thru Halloween-Fall celebration on from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 17. This is in lieu of the Fall Family Fun Day normally held.

Church community participation by having the children dress in their costumes and perhaps the adults will decorate their cars and driving through the parking lot is invited.

Donations of bags of candy, small trinkets, apples etc. will be appreciated. They need to be at the church by Oct. 11.

Anyone needing more information may contact this year’s coordinator, Brenda Mitchell, at brendamhanvey@aol.com or by calling 570-629-1890, ext. 104.

Sanctuary worship

Zion Lutheran in Brodheadsville plans on beginning worshipping in the sanctuary on Oct. 18.

Among the criteria of so doing are: worshippers being well; entering through the front door; wearing face masks; bulletins and hand sanitizer in the entryway; offering plates at the back of the sanctuary; labeled pews, impacting seating; waving allowed during the Passing of the Peace, but no hugging nor handshakes; 6-foot separation between Communion participants; hand sanitizer available on way; after exiting the service, maintain distances; social interaction outside.

Trick or treat

The West End Park and Open Space Commission has announced its annual trick-or-treat event for this year will be a drive-through format from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31, along with the West End Fire Company which will host the night at its home base in Brodheadsville on Route 715, behind Wawa.

Participants are to remain in their respective car and follow the traffic control officers.

Any community organization which would like to participate or would like to make a candy donation, is asked to contact Bernie at 570-992-9733.

Polk Township’s trick or treat will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31. Families who would like to participate are asked to turn on an outdoor light. There is no rain date.

Halloween parade

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, will hold a Halloween parade at 2 p.m. for parishioners in the church parking lot on Oct. 31.

Families are invited to dress up the car and family members and then enter the church grounds form the Route 209 entrance.

Costumed characters, all wearing masks and gloves, will come out and give out individually wrapped candy. Cars then exit on Weir Lake Road.

For added safety, all drivers and passengers must either have their windows up, or they can roll them down if they’re wearing a mask. Members are reminded that individually wrapped candy is needed for the parade.

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