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 by email at aelb@trysb.net, 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 meets Thursdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Athol Congregational Church.
Christmas Costume Party: On Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m., 16 Hartwell St., the Bernardston Vets Organization will present its Christmas Costume Party featuring Backtrack. Dress up to win prizes and enjoy the band from 6 to 9 p.m. $5 cover. All drinks $3. Open to the public.
Dick’s Angels Relay For Life Team’s Friday night special at the Bernardston Vets Club will be ham, baked potato and a vegetable. Hamburgers, hot dogs and grilled cheeses will also be available. Serving from 5 to 7:30 p.m. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. There will be no meal on Dec. 23.
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.
The Leyden COA will sponsor a wellness check with county nurse Lisa White on Friday from 10 a.m. to noon in Leyden Town Hall. She will conduct blood pressure checks and medication reviews. Coffee will be served. Come and relax with your friends and neighbors.
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’s and children’s clothing, shoes and sneakers are available. Most items $1. Men’s suits and all coats, $3. Women’s suits, $2. Donations accepted. Proceeds to benefit the church. Call 665-2890 for more information.
A Puzzle Swap will take place Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Greenfield Savings Bank, 282 Avenue A. Like putting together puzzles? Have a collection of used puzzle boxes? Looking for a new challenging puzzle? Come and swap with other fellow puzzle-masters. Light refreshments courtesy of Greenfield Savings Bank. All welcome.
A Gingerbread Party is planned Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Carnegie Library. Children of all ages and their caregivers are invited to make easy gingerbread houses. Candy, graham crackers, and icing will be provided for this fun, free program.
Franklin Area Survival Center: The food pantry and thrift store hosted by staff and volunteers is at 96 Fourth St. 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 store is open to the general public and helps finance its food pantry. In an emergency situation, the center will supply clothing and linens, free, and food to help victims. Call 863-9549 for more information.
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, 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 SHINE at LifePath at 773-555 or 978-544-2259. Email info@lifepathma.org or visit: lifepathma.org for more information.
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. The music can be selected in response to spiritual preference. To watch a Youtube video of the group, visit: www.eventidesigners.com. For more information call Marcia Schuhle, 774-2335, or Joe Toritto, 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. Visit: www.straightspouse.org for more information.
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 for more information.
Help the blind: Your car, truck or camper may be worth more as a donation than a trade in. Call the Massachusetts Association for the Blind at 888-613-2777 for details. This is a free, quick pick up and donations are tax deductible. Proceeds benefit blind and vision impaired persons in Massachusetts.