Christmas Eve

• Pleasant Valley Assembly of God, Brodheadsville, will celebrate Christmas Eve with a candlelight service at 7 p.m.

• St. Matthew’s EC Church, Kunkletown, will hold its Christmas Eve services at 3 and at 8 p.m.

For more information, call the church at 610-381-2442

Sunday supper

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Brodheadsville, is holding its Community Sunday Supper at 2:30 p.m. this Sunday.

Praise service

Salem-St. Paul Lutheran Church, Kresgeville, will hold a Praise Service on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. with Sunday School.

On Jan. 4, the 9:30 a.m. worship service will include Holy Communion.

Monday football

American Legion Post 927 in Gilbert will be enjoying “Monday Night Football” beginning at 7 p.m.

It is for Post 927 and guests.

Food and drink specials begin at 7 p.m.

For more information, call 610-681-5838.

Call request

Rep. Jack Rader has announced that his district office hours may be limited due to the holidays.

He asks folks to call ahead to be sure his offices are open at 570-620-4341 or the Blakeslee office at 570-643-7683.

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.

New Year’s service

Pleasant Valley Assembly of God, Brodheadsville, will host a New Year’s Eve service at 7 p.m.

Eldred Twp. closed

The Eldred Township offices will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The office will reopen on Friday at 9 a.m.

The office will also be closed on Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day and will reopen on Jan. 2 at 9 a.m.

The annual board of supervisors organizational and regular meetings will take place on Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 490 Kunkletown Road, Kunkletown.

TOPS meeting

TOPS meets every Wednesday at Salem St. Paul Lutheran Church, Kresgeville. The times are 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The first meeting in the New Year will be Jan. 7.

Senior centers closed

All Monroe County senior centers will be today through Dec. 26, and also Dec. 31 through Jan. 2.

United Way

Just days ago, the United Way sent out its statistics for 2024-25. The numbers of impacts through its varied programs — from Healthy Start Early Childhood Screenings to Rental Assistance — are amazing.

Contact the Pocono Mountains United Way if interested in what the agency can do, has done or is doing in the four-county service area of Monroe, Pike, Carbon and Wayne counties.

The office is located at 301 McConnell St., Stroudsburg. Call 570-517-3953, visit https://poconounitedway.org/ or email info@PoconoUnitedWay.org to give help or to get help.

Eldred museum

The Eldred Township Museum will be closed this month. The reopening is scheduled for Jan. 10.

Solemnity of Mary

Our Lady Queen of Peace, Brodheadsville, will hold its Solemnity of Mary, Holy Day of Obligation at 4 p.m. on Dec. 31, and at 8 and 11 a.m. on Jan. 1

AA meetings

AA meets at McMichaels UMC every Wednesday at noon and Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

Another unit meets at Zion Lutheran in Brodheadsville at 7:30 p.m. every Monday and Thursday.

Helpful hands

Did you know that each year senior center attendees from all over the state are invited to make ornaments for the tree at the state Capitol building in Harrisburg. Seniors from the Chestnuthill Center were among the photos posted in the Monroe County Seniors’ Express Times.

If you are a senior in the West End, call the Monroe County Area Agency on Aging at 570-420-3735 to learn more about becoming involved.

MC Habitat help

Help in raising funds is being sought by Monroe County Habitat for Humanity, with the explanation that, “Your donation helps us create safe and healthy homes that give families long-term stability. A financially stable home then allows parents to spend their income on food, medicine, child care, education, and other essentials rather than on continuous home repairs.

Donor support helps Habitat partner with more homeowners to achieve that necessary balance.”

People can donate online in support of the 2025 appeal.

Call the Habitat office for more information at 570-216-4390 or visit https://habitatmc.com/.

Hope butterflies

From AltruVision, a Lions Eye Bank, comes a special invitation: Children and teens under 18 years old are invited to join the Butterflies of Hope art contest.

The butterfly, a symbol of “hope and transformation,” is the theme of the contest.

As such, youths under the age of 18 are invited “to create original butterfly-themed artwork representing hope, transformation, and joy.”

The winning artwork will become the “limited-edition AltruVision Butterfly Design, featured on AltruVision merchandise, this coming spring.”

Submissions open Jan. 2 and close Feb. 6.

For more details, contact alex@altruvision.org.

Continued needs

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Brodheadsville, is looking ahead to the New Year. It will be 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. “If you didn’t use it this year — donate it,” is the suggestion.

Grief Support

The Brodheadsville Area Grief Support is slated to meet from 1-2:30 p.m. Jan. 8 at the Western Pocono Community Library at 131 Pilgrim Way in Brodheadsville.

Farm Show

The 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show will begin Jan. 10 and run through Jan. 17, opening at 8 a.m. and closing at 9 p.m., with two exceptions. They are Jan. 11, when it is open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., and Jan. 17, when it opens at 8 a.m. but closes at 5 p.m.

Admission is free, but there is a parking fee if using the Farm Show complex.

Shuttle service is slated to be provided.

KC for Kids

Monroe County Conservation District’s Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center offers Kettle Creek for Kids, ages 3-6, beginning anew on Jan. 13.

The program, geared for ages 3-6 (adult must stay with child during program) will be held on Jan. 13, 20 and 27. Classes are at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. and are one hour long.

For more information, call 570-629-3061.

Thank you, folks

To be in your hands, your homes, this special day and have the privilege of sharing the news of my beloved West End, where I learned English in third grade with the late Mrs. Krome in the Chestnuthill School, and the late John C. Mills as principal, is the gift of a lifetime. Thank you, each and everyone, for allowing me to do so, as well as the paper’s editorial and support staff.

May your holidays be blessed and most meaningful.