TOPS meetings

Salem-St. Pauls Lutheran Church, Kresgeville, hosts Take Off Pounds Sensibly every Wednesday at 10 a.m. and at 5:30 p.m.

Eldred hearing

Tonight, before the regular Eldred Township Board of Supervisors meeting at 7 p.m., there will be a public hearing.

For more information, call the township office at 610-381-4252.

Sensory Santa

Chestnuthill Township is holding a Sensory Santa event from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday at the park building.

Registration is required. Call the township at 570-992-7247.

Breakfast, Santa

Polk Township Volunteer Fire Company is hosting its December breakfast from 7-11 a.m. Sunday at the firehouse in Kresgeville. The required donations benefit the fire company.

The menu includes scramble eggs, fried eggs, French toast or creamed chipped beef, and a choice of sausage, bacon, pork roll and home fries.

Beverages include orange juice, coffee, tea and milk.

Children under 6 can eat for free.

For costs, call 610-681-4370.

Santa is expected to arrive no later than 8 a.m.

Christmas play

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Brodheadsville, is hosting its third grade Christmas play at 9:30 a.m. Sunday in McCawley Hall. All are welcome.

Christmas plan

Salem-St. Paul Lutheran Church, Kresgeville, will have its Christmas party and Christmas caroling this Sunday.

Senior savings

Rep. Jack Rader reminds seniors that the an annual income of no more than $29,906 this current year regarding reduced-fee vehicle registration will change to $30,778, effective Jan. 1.

Retirees who qualify, pay $12 rather than the standard $48 registration fee.

For more information, contact his office in Carriage House Square in Effort at 570-620-4341.

LIHEAP help

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is open. People can call the hotline at 1-866-857-7095.

To apply for help from LIHEAP, visit https://www.compass.dhs.pa.gov/home/#/.

Cookbooks available

The Monroe County Senior Centers’ cookbook is still available. People can buy one at the Monroe County Area Agency on Aging, 724 Phillips St., Suite 102, Stroudsburg.

The West End Senior Center, at Zion Lutheran Church, and all other county senior centers, will be closed on Dec. 24 through Dec. 26, and also Dec. 31 through Jan. 2, 2026.

Christmas services

• St. Peter’s UMC, Saylorsburg, will host its fourth Sunday in Advent at its church home, beginning at 9 a.m. It will be a Singspiration event. Its Christmas Eve candlelight service will take place at 5 p.m. at First United Methodist in Bangor.

• Pleasant Valley Assembly of God, Brodheadsville, will have two services, which will include the children’s Christmas musical play “Carol and the Belles.”

• Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Brodheadsville, will have Christmas services at 4, 8 and 10 p.m. Dec. 24 and at 11 a.m. on Christmas Day.

• Salem-St. Paul, Kresgeville, will hold Christmas Eve services at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. for carols, communion and candlelighting.

• Zion Lutheran, Brodheadsville, will hold services on Christmas Eve at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Both are candlelight services with communion. The services will also be broadcast on Zion’s Facebook page.

• St. John’s Lutheran Church, Effort, will hold its Christmas Eve service at 3 p.m.

Free supper

Zion Lutheran, Brodheadsville, will hold its last free community supper for 2025 on Christmas Day. Reservations are requested. Pickup times will be assigned.

Call the church at 570-992-7753.

PVEN needs

The various pantries at the Pleasant Valley Network have continuing needs.

• The Food Pantry can still use turkeys and turkey breasts, gravy, cranberry sauce, cornbread mix, stuffing, and pancake mix and syrup.

• The Clothing Closet is asking for winter coats and lined hoodies, for both children and adults, cleaning supplies (all types) as well as bed linens and towels.

• The Diaper pantry needs baby formula and baby food, adult pull-ups and bladder protection pads, as well as bed protector pads.

Monetary donations are also being accepted.

Rebate reminder

The deadline for Property Tax/Rent Rebate for applicants 65 or older, widows/widowers 50 or older, or 18 or older with a disability has been extended to Dec. 31.

The amount to be issued is based on an applicant’s annual income, which must have been $45,000 or less in 2024.

For more information, contact the Monroe County Area Agency on Aging at 570-420-3735 or monroeaging@monroecountypa.gov.

January needs

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Brodheadsville is accepting donations of vintage items, antiques, blow molds, yard décor, tableware, linens, jewelry, villages and houses (Department 56), books, Christmas music and records, DVDs; just about anything Christmas-related is appreciated.

More specific information is forthcoming.

Polk history

The Polk Township Historical Society will meet at 11 a.m. Jan. 3 at the Polk Township Municipal Building in Kresgeville. All citizens interested in local history are invited.

Anyone having questions may call Norm Burger at 610-681-7561. There is no planned meeting in February.

Grief support

The next grief support meeting taking place at the Western Pocono Community Library in Brodheadsville will not be until Jan. 7, from 1-2:30 p.m.

Food safety news

From salmonella found in foods to lead contamination in cinnamon powder to advice not to eat raw frogs due to a possible disease that one woman contracted, “a parasitic infection called sparganosis,” Penn State Food Safety and Quality offers a food safety newsletter via email.

To subscribe, email L-FOOD-SAFETY-NEWS-subscribe-request@lists.psu.edu, and add a subject, “Add Me” and at least a few characters in the body of the email. That helps to let the email through spam filters.

Make sure to pay attention to which of your email addresses you are requesting to be subscribed, as it picks up your “from” address from the email you use when you subscribe.

People can also send a subscription request to mwb124@psu.edu.