Kingsmen Chess Club: Meets Sundays, noon to 4 p.m., Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main St. For more information, contact John Dould at 978-249-5905, 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 the Athol Congregational Church.
Corned Beef Dinner: Florence Congregational Church, 130 Pine St., will serve a public corned beef and cabbage dinner on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Featuring salad bar, vegetable, beverages and dessert. Free will offering. Dinner reservations encouraged. Call 584-1325 to reserve a spot or for more information.
Friends of Gill Pancake Breakfast will be served Saturday from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at the Gill Congregational Church. Regular and blueberry pancakes, sausage and/or bacon will be served. Prices are $7 for adults, $3 for children under 10, and free for 4 and under. Proceeds benefit the college scholarship program.
Honor Roll: Stephen Filiault of Gill was one of more than 300 University of Dallas students named to the fall 2017 Honor Roll for earning a semester GPA of 3.0-3.49. Filiault is majoring in economics and finance.
The League of Women Voters of Franklin County March open meeting will be Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Greenfield Public Library. Jacqueline Velez, lead organizer for Neighbor to Neighbor, will discuss the omnibus criminal justice reform bill currently in legislation.
Walk for a New Spring: The public is invited to join walkers on the 2018 Walk for a New Spring, organized by the New England Peace Pagoda. There will also be a potluck gathering Saturday from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Saint James and Andrews Episcopal Church, 8 Church St. The gathering will be hosted by Racial Justice Rising and will include information about the new Poor People’s Campaign being organized by the Reverends William Barber and Liz Theoharis. Guests are welcome to contribute to the potluck. For more information, contact email@racialjusticerising.org. The theme of this year’s walk is Peace for the People, Peace for the Earth.
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.
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 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: pen 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.
An eye witness to Hurricane Harvey will speak Saturday at 10 a.m. at Greenfield Savings Bank, 282 Avenue A. Come and join Emily Mew, local field representative from the Salvation Army, who was deployed last summer to the city of Houston and surrounding coastline. She will share her experiences and pictures of Mother Nature’s fury. Light refreshments courtesy of Greenfield Savings Bank.
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.
Movie Screening: “The Time Machine” (2002) will be shown Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Wendell Free Library. Based on the classic sci-fi novel by H.G. Wells. There will be a short film before the movie, an episode of “Tales of Tomorrow.” Visit: www.wendellfreelibrary.org or call 978-544-3559 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 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: Serving the Health Insurance needs of Everyone: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 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.