Kingsmen Chess Club: Meets Sundays, noon to 4 p.m., at 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. at Athol Hospital’s cafeteria.
TOPS: Take Off Pounds Sensibly meets Thursdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., at Athol Congregational Church.
Craft and Stash Sale: The Florence Congregational Church, 130 Pine St., will sponsor a Craft and Stash Sale on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Local crafters will be selling creations including jewelry, wooden toys, quilts, painted slates, wool and knitted or crocheted bags and articles, doll clothes, ties, aprons, homemade cards and many other homemade crafts. Vendors will also be selling fabrics, notions, yarns, scrapbooking supplies and beads. A bake sale, luncheon and quilt raffle will also take place.
Racial Justice Rising Free Monthly Program: “Youth Speak Out!” will take place Saturday, 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., at First Congregational Church, 43 Silver St. Area teens will talk about their hopes and concerns in their lives, in their schools and in society. Topics may include school shootings, our education system, difficulties faced by marginalized groups and environmental issues. Adults and youth welcome. The program is free and donations are welcome. For more information: email@racialjusticerising.org.
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.
Students of the Week: The following Great Falls Middle School students were selected as Students of the Week for week ending March 30: Grade 6, Fiona Hutchison; grade 7, Alex Sulda, Corin Wisnewski; and grade 8, Maria Romashka.
Historical Exhibit: Shelburne Historical Society at the old Arms Academy building will be open today from 1 to 4 p.m. All welcome to view exhibits highlighting Shelburne’s past. Use the corner of Maple and Church Streets entrance. Curator Elaine Parmett. Call 413-625-6150 for more information.
Free Community Meal: Offered every Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Trinity Church, Severance Street.
The Giving Circle Thrift Shop at 55-B North Main St. is opening Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shop will sell adult and children’s clothing, household items, toys and more. Giving Circle Thrift Shop is a new initiative of Tripp Memorial Foundation Inc., a local nonprofit organization serving elders and their caregivers in western Massachusetts since 2001. Proceeds from the shop will support direct care workers through training classes, wellness and life enrichment programs. For more information, visit: trippmemorial.org or email: givingcircle@gmail.com.
Sunderland
Frontier Regional CFCE Playgroup runs through June 8. The playgroup at Sunderland Elementary School runs each Monday and Friday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Come to the free, drop-in playgroup for a morning of informal play, interactive literacy and conversation with other families and caregivers of children infant age to 5. Contact Karen Green with questions at: karen.green@frsu38.org or 665-1151. Playgroup will not take place during school vacations or weather-related school closures. This program is funded by the Mass EEC and supported by the Frontier Regional School District.
Preschool story time: Meets Fridays at 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: Open Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., in the Congregational Church basement. Men’s, women’s, children’s clothing, shoes and sneakers. Most items are $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.
Benefit Concert: Elisabeth Von Trapp will be performing Saturday at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Peace Church. A donation of $10 is recommended. Proceeds will benefit Montague Catholic Social Ministries. Elisabeth has carried on the legacy of the internationally known Trapp Family Singers.
Discover the Discovery Center on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at Greenfield Savings Bank, 282 Avenue A. Representatives from the center will share their wealth of information on the museum. The exhibits at the Discovery Center show the natural, cultural and industrial history of the Connecticut River Watershed. Light refreshments provided courtesy of GSB.
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 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. Call 863-9549 for more information.
Volunteer Opportunities: Get energized, share your experience and benefit your community through volunteering. Volunteers are needed in many local non-profit organizations for home delivered meals, to drive seniors to appointments, to help at a thrift shops or survival centers or provide reception, data entry and computer classes at local senior centers. Use your skills to lead an exercise class and improve wellness. If you are at least 55, start today by calling Pat at 413-387-4558, ext. 1, or email psicard@hcg-ma.org.
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 caregiver — 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. Learn more by visiting: lifepathma.org.
SHINE: SHINE (Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone) 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 councilor at LifePath at 773-555, 978-544-2259, or info@lifepathma.org. Visit: lifepathma.org to learn more.
Vigil for Racial Justice: Held every Saturday from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Greenfield Common. Bring your own sign or use one of ours. Everyone is welcome. For more information, contact: email@racialjusticerising.org.
Eventide Singers: Offering songs of hope and healing for seriously or terminally ill people, their families and caregivers. 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, visit: 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. Visit: www.straightspouse.org to learn more.
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. Proceeds benefit blind and vision impaired persons in Massachusetts.