Amherst
Hands Across the Valley Quilters’ Guild will meet Sunday from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 867 North Pleasant St. This will be a working meeting. Nonmember fee is $5. For more information, contact Nancy Johnson at 584-9328 or Jane Carnes, 584-0198.
Athol
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.
Dick’s Angels Friday night special at the Bernardston Vets Club will be ham and cheese or turkey paninis, served with coleslaw. 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.
A STEM workshop for children up to age 7 will be offered Saturday at Buckland Public Library from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The program will be “Plant a Seed,” investigate seeds and plant seeds for some early growing at home. Free.
Celebrate Colrain Community with a Town Bonfire on Saturday from 6 to 8 pm. at the Town Fire Station. Snacks and drinks provided by the Griswold Memorial Library. Bring clean wood, Christmas trees to burn, and chairs to sit on by the fire. For more information, contact Betty at the Library at biblib3@aol.com or 624-3619.
Aimee Funk of Greenfield has been named to the Dean’s List at Westfield State University where she is majoring in English Literature with Certification in Secondary Education, for the fall 2016 academic term. To receive Dean’s List status, a student must complete a 12-hour semester with a GPA of at least 3.3. Funk is a 2015 Mohawk Trail High School graduate. She is the daughter of Rachel Lively of Greenfield and George Funk of Holyoke, and granddaughter of Cynthia and Hormidas Lively of Greenfield.
Free orientation to become a Valley Time Trade member will take place Sunday at 4 a.m., and March 25 at 2:30 p.m. at Green Fields Market Meeting Room, 144 Main St. No registration required. Bring a laptop or tablet if you have one. See www.valleytimetrade.org for more information. Time Trading is an organized exchange system through which members earn hours (time credits) for time spent helping other members. One hour of service earns one hour of someone else’s time, no matter what the service. This is part of a movement across the country and across the world of hundreds of local timebanks.
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.
Northfield
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.
Shelburne Falls
Free Community Meal: Offered every Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Trinity Church, Severance Street.
A country breakfast and mini bake sale will take place Saturday from 7 to 10 a.m. at Sunderland Congregational Church. The menu will be pancakes, maple syrup, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries and beverage. One serving/adults, $7, all you can eat/adults, $10, and children $4.
Jessica L. Zewski of Sunderland has been named to the Dean’s List Fall 2016-17 semester at Western New England University. Zewski is working toward a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Students named to the Dean’s List earned at least a 3.30 grade point average.
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.
Greenfield Savings Bank, 282 Avenue A, continues its celebration of Black History Month Saturday. Belinda Lyons Zucker brings her talents to the community room. She is an African American doll artist and sculptor teaching and selling her art in local galleries. The event, 9 to 11:15 a.m., will be a mask making event and is open to 12 to 15 participants who will make a collage mask from cut, decorative paper. Create a mask to take home and one to leave to exhibit in the GSB lobby. Call 863-4316 to reserve a spot. Black History Month celebration will continue Feb. 18 and 25.
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 additional food to help the victims of a disaster.
Regional
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 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. The music can be selected in response to spiritual preference. 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 the Massachusetts Association for the Blind at 888-613-2777 for details. this is a free two, quick pick up and donations are tax deductible. Proceeds benefit blind and vision impaired persons in Massachusetts.