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.
Dick’s Angels Relay For Life team will be serving chicken parmesan grinders with a salad and a cup of clam chowder as a special on Friday night at the Bernardston Vets Club, Hartwell Street. Serving from 5 to 7 p.m. Hamburgers, hot dogs, truck burgers, and grilled cheeses will also be available. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.
Ellie Friends of Deerfield was one of 20 members of the Bates College Class of 2021 to be named a Dana Scholar. Friends, of John B. Friends and Mary E. Friends of Deerfield, is a 2017 graduate of Deerfield Academy. Established in 1965 through the support of the Charles A. Dana Foundation, the Dana Scholars Program recognizes exemplary academic excellence and promise, leadership potential, and community service. The program grants awards to twenty students from each first-year class. The Class of 2021 student honorees have demonstrated exceptional academic progress and made a wide variety of extracurricular contributions to Bates. The students were nominated at the end of their first year by Bates faculty members, administrative staff, leaders of campus organizations, and current Dana Scholars.
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 413-475-0226.
Dean’s List: Dylan DePalma, son of Laura Schlaikjer and Robert DePalma of Leyden, was named to the dean’s list at the University of Vermont for the fall semester. He achieved a 4.0 grade-point average. DePalma, a member of the class of 2020, is majoring in Environmental Sciences in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. To be named to the dean’s list, students must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or better and rank in the top 20 percent of their class in their respective college or school.
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.
Frontier Regional CFCE Free Drop-In Playgroup for Children 0-5 and their caregivers. Mondays and Fridays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunderland Elementary School, Swampfield Drive. Playgroup follows school calendar, and there will be no playgroup on school holidays, breaks or snow days. For questions contact Karen Green at karen.green@frsu38.org or 413-665-1151.
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. 413-665-2890.
Bingo! Greenfield Savings Bank, 282 Avenue A, will offer family friendly Bingo Saturday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Bette Sokoloski will be guest caller. GSB will provide cards, gag prizes and light refreshments. Seating will be on a first call, first reserve basis. Call 413-863-4316 to reserve a spot. Due to limited space, no one will be admitted without a reservation.
National Penguin Awareness Day is Sunday: Greenfield Savings Bank in Turners Falls will be celebrating on Tuesday. Come in and learn interesting tidbits about those cute black and white birds that live and walk on frozen ground with their bare feet. Thanks to Kristin, owner of Topper the Penguin, visitors can use these facts in a Trivia Game. Information will be on display at teller stations.
Franklin Area Survival Center: The Food Pantry & Thrift Store hosted by staff and volunteers is at 96 Fourth St., 413-863-9549. 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.
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 413-773-5555 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 413-773-555 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 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 and a YouTube video of the group, go to: www.eventidesigners.com or call Marcia Schuhle at 413-774-2335 or Joe Toritto at 413-774-5828.
Straight Spouse Support: One to one support for straight individuals currently or once married to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender partners. Confidential helpline at 413-625-6636 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.