Kingsmen Chess Club: Meets Sundays, noon to 4 p.m., Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main St. For more information, call John Dould at 978-249-5905 or email aelb@trysb.net or aelb@hotmail.com.
Smoking Cessation: Led by Tim Sweeney, tobacco treatment specialist. Meets Mondays, 6 to 7 p.m. Athol Hospital’s cafeteria.
TOPS: Take Off Pounds Sensibly, Thursdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Athol Congregational Church.
Community Meal: Stone Soup Cafe takes place Saturdays at noon at All Souls Church, 399 Main St. (Hope Street entrance). Local food served. Pay what you can. All welcome.
Vet to Vet: The RECOVER Project and the Recovery Learning Community offer Vet to Vet every Thursday from 3 to 4:30 p.m., at 74 Federal St. This collaboration is for all veterans, regardless of discharge status to offer support when the civilian world is a challenge. For more information, contact Tim at 475-0226.
Holly Fair will take place Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Community Church of North Orange and Tully, 48 Main St., at the corner of Creamery Hill Road. Santa will be there 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The main floor of the church is handicapped accessible and will feature a cookie walk, gift card raffle and food table selling corn chowder, sandwiches, hot dogs, soda and coffee. Coffee can raffle, Christmas decorations, Partridge berry bowls, handmade items and a pop-a-win game for children.
Food Pantry: The community food pantry will be open Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The pantry is in the basement of Dickinson Memorial Library, 115 Main St. The pantry is open the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.
Free Community Meal: Offered every Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Trinity Church, Severance Street.
Preschool story time: Fridays, 11 a.m. in the Children’s Room of the Sunderland Public Library. These story/craft times are for children ages 3 to 5 and their families/caregivers. Each story time is about 45 minutes and includes theme-related stories, songs, finger plays and crafts.
Serendipity Shop: Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Congregational Church basement. Men’s women, children’s clothing, shoes and sneakers. Most items $1. Men’s suits and all coats, $3. Women’s suits, $2. Donations accepted. Proceeds to benefit the church. 665-2890.
“Bring a Book, Get a Book” book swap will be Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. at Greenfield Savings Bank, 282 Avenue A. There will be a collection of gently used books for children, teenagers and adults including romance, adventure, suspense, history, etc. Be sure to bring books in order to get books. Light refreshments provided by GSB.
Students of the Week: The following Great Falls Middle School students were selected as Students of the Week for week ending Nov. 18: Grade 6 — Thomas Hall, Kendra Campbell. Grade 7 — Zachary Emond. Grade 8 — Arron Beattie-Riddle
Franklin Area Survival Center: The Food Pantry & Thrift Store hosted by staff and volunteers is at 96 Fourth St., 863-9549. The Thrift Store is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the Food Pantry is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The center is closed Federal holidays. The Thrift Shop is open to the general public and helps finance its Food Pantry. In an emergency, such as a fire or flood, the center will supply needed clothing and linens, free, and food to help disaster victims.
A Handmade Holiday Craft Fair is planned Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at S. White Dickinson Memorial Library, 202 Chestnut Plain Road. The fair will feature several local craftspeople including Ewan Mikolajczuk, honey and beeswax candles; Paul Fleuriel, hand-carved wooden toys; Chamutka Wreaths, locally fresh wreaths and decorations; Riina Viise, wooden gifts; Marilee Kloc, upcycled cashmere accessories; Nancy Talanian, porcelain pottery; Wendy and Keith Bardwell, maple products; and Lisa Moore, homemade fudge.
Monadnock Tri-State Dance will be Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m. at ELMM Community Center, 21 Durkee St., off Parker Street. Live music will be provided by Shadow Twister. All welcome. For more information: 603-357-0794 or 802-722-9205
Helpful Programs at LifePath. Any plan of care starts with your needs. LifePath services provide assistance with light homemaking, home-delivered meals, personal care, and adaptive equipment. Caregivers can take a break to de-stress with LifePath’s respite services. In addition, the Consumer Directed Care Program at LifePath allows elders in need to select their own care giver — perhaps a friend, neighbor or even a family member — who can be paid through this program (excludes spouses). For more information, visit: info@lifepathma.org or call 773-5555 or 978-544-2259. Read more at lifepathma.org.
SHINE: Serving the Health Insurance needs of Everyone: Do you have Medicare but feel overwhelmed by your options? SHINE counselors are volunteers who provide free, unbiased health insurance information, education, and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries and adults with disabilities to help people figure out what their best health insurance options are based on their unique needs. Contact a SHINE volunteer at LifePath at 773-555 or 978-544-2259. Email info@lifepathma.org and learn more at lifepathma.org.
Vigil for Racial Justice: Every Saturday, 9 to 10 a.m., at the Greenfield Common. Bring your own sign or use one of ours. Everyone is welcome. For more information: email@racialjusticerising.org.
Eventide Singers: Offering songs of hope and healing for seriously or terminally ill people, their families and carergivers. The service is offered in homes, hospitals and care facilities, without charge. For more information and a Youtube video of the group, go to: www.eventidesigners.com or call Marcia Schuhle at 774-2335 or Joe Toritto at 774-5828.
Straight Spouse Support: One-to-one support for straight individuals currently or once married to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender partners. Confidential helpline at 625-6636 or email jcmalinski48@gmail.com locally or at the Straight Spouse Network nationally at www.straightspouse.org.
Counseling Referrals: The Social Work Therapy Referral Service offers free confidential referrals for individual, couple, family and group therapy, matched for specialty, location and insurance. This is a public service of the National Association of Social Workers. Call 800-242-9794.
Help the Blind: Your car, truck or camper may be worth more as a donation than a trade-in. Call Mass. Association for the Blind at 888-613-2777 for details. Donations are tax deductible. Proceeds benefit blind and vision-impaired persons in Massachusetts.