The Southern New Hampshire Chapter of National Charity League, Inc., the nation’s premier mother-daughter volunteer organization, has announced its Annual Membership Drive and has begun accepting applications from women with daughters currently in 6th through 9th grade. The Southern New Hampshire Chapter is comprised of nearly 175 members who reside in Southern New Hampshire. Southern New Hampshire Chapter mother-daughter teams volunteered just under 1803 philanthropy hours in the 2020-2021 year for 13 philanthropic organizations in the community, including but not limited to, Families in Transition, Bedford Community Food Pantry, CareGivers, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Mt Carmel Rehab and Nursing Center and New Horizons. For more information, prospective members are encouraged to visit the Southern New Hampshire Chapter’s website at nationalcharityleague.org/chapter/southernnewhampshire or send an email to membershipsouthernnewhampshire@nclonline.org. Interested mothers and daughters are encouraged to attend a prospective member meeting at the Bedford Public Library, 3 Meetinghouse Rd, Bedford on Nov. 16 at 6 p.m., Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. or Jan. 20 at 6 p.m.
Marshall’s Florist has graciously partnered again with the Zonta Club of Concord to help beautify homes just in time for the holidays and raise money for the Zonta New American Merit Award. This award is one of four types of educational assistance Zonta offers to young women in the greater Concord area and it is given to a high school senior who came to this country as an immigrant or refugee. The handmade wreaths that Lorrie Carey and her design team at Marshall’s Florist create for us are amazing. They measure 28-30 inches and you can order yours with just a bow or beautifully decorated by this master florist. They are made to order with the freshest local materials, so they will fill your home with fragrance and last until well after the tree is merely a memory. Order one for each door and maybe another for over the mantel! Order some more for your friends and family! Order at zonta-club-of-concord-nh-inc.square.site/2021-holiday-wreaths by Nov. 13 or print and complete the form and send it, and your check to Zonta Club of Concord NH, PO Box 1736, Concord, NH 03302-1736.
More than 4,000 locations will open to collect Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts for the Samaritan’s Purse project. Volunteers are preparing to collect shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, Nov. 15 – 22, offering a curbside option. Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts — filled with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys — to children worldwide since 1993. This is a project that everyone can still be a part of, even with COVID-19 restrictions. Individuals, families, and groups still have time to transform empty shoeboxes into fun gifts. Find a step-by-step guide on the How to Pack a Shoebox webpage, samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box. The nearest drop-off location is Grace Capital Church in Pembroke, open Nov. 15, 3 to 6:30 p.m.; Nov. 16 and 19, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Nov. 17 and 18, 4 to 6 p.m.; Nov. 20, 2 to 5 p.m.; and Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information, visit samaritanspurse.org.
The United Church of Penacook, at the corner of Community Drive and Canal Street in Penacook, will hold a Christmas Craft Fair and Bake Sale on Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Crafters will offer home décor, holiday decorations, knit/crochet hats, mittens, scrubbers, printed tees, totes, stuffed toys, jams and jellies, wool felted hats and accessories, handbags, coin purses, artisan soaps, and fused glass. There will also be a bake sale. Proceeds support the United Church Food Pantry. If you have questions or want to view pictures and links to crafter products, visit ucpnh.org.
The 2021 Turkey Trot race on Thanksgiving morning is on track! Race starts at 8 a.m. at Hopkinton High School. Race packet pick-up is between 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. Advance registration is encouraged (and discounted) but you can register onsite at the high school on Thanksgiving morning from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. The race route can be found at plotaroute.com/route/1710997?units=km. Cost to register before Nov. 24 is $5 for youth, $10 for an adults. Free T-shirts will be given to the first 100 registrants. Day of registrations are $20 for youth, $30 for adults. As before, all proceeds will go directly to the Hopkinton Food Pantry and Operation Christmas.