Seed exchange

The Seed Exchange & Propagation Station has returned to the Western Pocono Community Library for spring 2026. Visit the circulation desk to participate. More information is available at the library’s website, www.westernpoconocommunitylibrary.org/.

Kunkletown Thrift Store

Hours for the Kunkletown Thrift Store are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.

Eldred agriculture

The Eldred Township Agriculture Security Committee meeting is on the calendar for 7 p.m. Thursday at the municipal building.

Legion Sons to meet

The Sons of the American Legion will meet from 6-7 p.m. tonight at the post home in Gilbert.

Donation drive

Pleasant Valley Assembly of God Church, Brodheadsville, is holding a donation drive for its Bridges Ministry to the homeless on Saturday in Stroudsburg.

The church’s administrator said that donations will be accepted until Friday.

Needed are: gas cards, since many people are living in their vehicles; heavy-duty tents to withstand damage from rodents; sleeping bags; clothing for men, women and children; hygiene products, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, soap and hand sanitizer; and non-perishables, including canned food items with peel back lids.

Contact the church office at 570-992-6799 for more information, or speak with Rich and Sioni Rodriguez.

Senior centers closed

All Monroe County Senior centers are closed on Friday, including the center in Brodheadsville at Zion Lutheran Church.

Trout season opens

Saturday is the first day of trout season. State Rep. Jack Rader reminds anglers “to buy your fishing licenses and permits and get your gear organized.” Visit www.pa.gov/agencies/fishandboat for more information.

Open pantry

The food pantry in Eldred Township at the township’s Community Center is scheduled to be open from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Easter services

• Effort UMC will hold Maundy Thursday services at 5:30 and at 7 p.m. On Good Friday there will be a Service of the Shadows (Tenebrae) at 7 p.m.

On Easter Sunday, the church is holding a Sunrise Service outside at 7 a.m., weather permitting, and two other worships services at 8:30 a.m. and at 11 a.m.

• Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Brodheadsville is holding A Lord’s Supper Mass at 7 p.m. on Holy Thursday. Adoration follows. Night Prayer takes place at 11 p.m.

On Good Friday at 9 a.m. there will be a Tenebrae service and at 7 p.m., the Lord’s Passion.

On Holy Saturday the church will host a Tenebrae service at 9 a.m. and at 8 p.m. the Great Easter Vigil.

The church is also hosting a Sharing the Cross event for teens grades 7-12 on Good Friday, beginning at 10:45 a.m. in McCawley Hall and concluding after the Lord’s Passion, which begins at 7 p.m.

The church will have four different services and activities on Holy Saturday: 9 a.m., Tenebrae service; 1 p.m., Blessing of the Easter Baskets; 2 p.m., egg hunt; and 8 p.m., the Great Easter Vigil Mass.

On Easter, Masses will be at 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Spanish).

• Pleasant Valley Assembly of God Church in Brodheadsville will hold Easter services at 8, 9 and 11 a.m. Child care will be provided for the 9 and 11 a.m. services.

• Salem-St. Paul Lutheran Church in Kresgeville will hold a 7 p.m. service on Holy Thursday, complete with Holy Communion and Stripping of the Altar. There will be a Good Friday Tenebrae service at 7 p.m. On Easter Sunday the church will hold a worship service at 9:30 a.m. with Holy Communion.

• St. John’s Lutheran Church in Effort will hold its Good Friday Service of the Word at 7 p.m. The Easter service will be at 9:30 a.m. and include Holy Communion.

• St. Matthew’s ECC in Kunkletown begins its Easter day celebration with a 6 a.m. service in the grove. Breakfast will follow in Fellowship Hall. At 9 a.m. the worship service will take place in the sanctuary.

• St. Peter’s UMC in Saylorsburg will worship and receive Communion with its sister church, First United Methodist Church of Bangor, at 7 p.m. on Holy Thursday and do a Cross Walk at the Bangor sister church at 11:30 a.m. on Good Friday. St. Peter’s will hold its Easter worship service at 9 a.m. on Easter Sunday.

• Zion Lutheran Church in Brodheadsville has announced the following special services for the Easter holidays: Maundy Thursday, 7 p.m., worship and Holy Communion; Good Friday, 7 p.m., worship service; and Easter worship, Saturday, 5 p.m., informal spoken service with Holy Communion, and Easter Sunday, 8 and 10:30 a.m., festival worship with Holy Communion.

Easter basket weaving

Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm will hold an Easter basket weaving workshop Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, including cost, call Quiet Valley 570-992-6161 or visit at www.quietvalley.org.

Polk history

The Polk Township Historical Society will meet at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Polk Township Municipal Building in Kresgeville.

All citizens interested in local history are invited. Attendees are asked to bring an item for Show & Tell.

After the meeting, the group will go to the Lodge Hall for spring cleaning.

Anyone with questions may call Norm Burger at 610-681-7561.

The group’s May meeting is planned for 11 a.m. May 2.

AA meetings

On Monday at 7:30 p.m. and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Zion Lutheran Church in Brodheadsville will host its sponsored meetings for Alcoholics Anonymous.

Safe2Say

If you have children, grandchildren or other related students in the Pleasant Valley School District, do you know that the district is involved in the statewide Safe2Say Something anonymous reporting system initiative?

“S2SS is designed to help students and staff recognize the warning signs and signals (especially on social media) of individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others,” the PVSD website says. “The S2SS program trains students and school staff members to treat every warning sign seriously and to act quickly to get help by talking to a trusted adult and/or by reporting it anonymously via phone, mobile app, or website to the Pennsylvania S2SS Crisis Center.” Staff members are trained to respond to and manage tips reported via: www.safe2saypa.org; Tipline: 1-844-SAF2SAY; and apps for Apple and Android devices.

Garden opening

The Garden of Giving will open April 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Through April, the garden will be open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. (Note: It will close in the event of rain.

Helpers are still needed to assist with IT, with phone calls and, most importantly, someone who will apply for grants. All are year-round office jobs.

For more information, call the garden at 570-402-1282 or email GardenofGiving1@gmail.com.

The garden is located in McMichaels, at 2556 Rising Hill Drive, Saylorsburg.

Artist show ahead

Come to the Art Gallery at Kettle Creek from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 11 to meet artist Jeff Koopman. His show, “Waterways and Byways,” will feature nature-oriented oil paintings. The subjects will be mostly local.

Koopman’s work will be on display for the month of April in the gallery, which is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It also will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on two Saturdays: April 11 and April 18.

There is no charge and preregistration is not required. Call 570-629-3061 with any questions.

For more information on other programs offered at Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center, visit www.mcconservation.org.

OTOH meeting

Operation: Touch of Home’s next meeting is set for 7 p.m. April 14 at American Legion Post 927 in Gilbert.

Earth Day Festival

The first-ever Earth Day Festival will take place at the West End Fairgrounds in Gilbert from April 17-19. The rain-or-shine, family-friendly event will feature live music, DJs, food trucks and a wide variety of vendors and crafters. There will also be a basket raffle and a marching band battle. The festival will tentatively conclude with a fireworks display.

Hours are 5-10 p.m. April 17; 2-10 p.m. April 18; and noon-7 p.m. April 19. Those over 11 must pay a charge, but ages 10 and under will be admitted for free.

Anyone who brings a donation for the A.W.S.O.M. Animal Shelter or the Center for Animal Health & Welfare (Project Paw) will receive $1 off admission.

Call 484-903-9356 for more information.

Farmers market

Zion Lutheran Church in Brodheadsville has announced that a farmers market will be held on April 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. New vendors are welcome. For more information, email Brodheadsvillefarmersmarket@gmail.com. Featured will be local farmers and artisans.

MC Spelling Bee

The annual Monroe County Senior Spelling Bee will be held from 1-3 p.m. April 22 at the Hughes Library in Stroudsburg. The competition is for folks 55 years of age and older.

For more information, call 570-420-3735 or email ddunkelberger@monroecountypa.gov. The Monroe County Area Agency on Aging is at 724 Phillips St., Suite 102, Stroudsburg, PA 18360.

Spellers must preregister at the aforementioned address. The deadline is April 20.

Flea market

It’s time to think about reserving a space for the May 16 spring flea market at St. Peter’s UMC in Saylorsburg.

The rain date is set for May 23.

Tax rebate

The Pleasant Valley School District’s tax rebate program has been open for those who qualify since Feb. 1. It will continue through Dec. 31.

Required is a signed copy of 2025 PA-1000. Income must be below $46,520.

Anyone with questions can call 570-402-1000, ext. 1260.

The rebate is based on the balance of school taxes not reimbursed under the state program. Copies of paid school tax receipts must be supplied.