Flowery talk
The CSRA Hydrangea Society will meet at 7 p.m. today in the Community Room at Aiken Technical College, 2276 Jefferson Davis Highway, Graniteville.
Matt Willoughby, the farm manager of Layman Wholesale Nurseries, will speak about new hydrangea varieties that will soon be on the market.
Refreshments will be available after the meeting. For more information, call (803) 642-9750.
Have we met?
The Augusta Area Newcomers Club will meet today.
The club is for residents who moved to the Augusta area in the past five years.
For the time and location of the meeting, call Jeannie Hipsher at (706) 210-7547, e-mail hospitality@augustanewcomers.com or visit www.augustanewcomers.com.
Boxes of gifts
Local volunteers will be collecting gift-filled shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child through Monday.
The gifts will be sorted and sent to children around the world. Shoe boxes should be filled with school supplies, toys, tooth paste, tooth brushes, toiletries, candy and a letter of encouragement. Step-by-step shoe box packing instructions are available at www.samaritanspurse.org.
Local collection sites include Warren Baptist Church, 3203 Washington Road; Macedonia Baptist Church, 1828 Wrightsboro Road; Hephzibah Baptist Church, 2527 Georgia Highway 88, Hephzibah; and West Acres Baptist Church, 555 Gibbs Road, Evans.
Feeding the needy
The Koinonia Community Development Corp. will hold a Thanksgiving community dinner from 10:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 27, at the East Augusta Middle School cafeteria, 320 Kentucky Ave.
The goal of the dinner is to ensure that no one in the area goes hungry on Thanksgiving, including the homeless and the elderly. In addition to dinner, a clothing station will be available to provide sweaters, coats, shoes, undergarments and other items for the homeless.
Donations may be taken to Koinonia Community Development Corp., 516 Forsythe St. For more information, call (706) 722-8544.
Mission needs help
The Augusta Rescue Mission is in need of donations and volunteers for its annual Thanksgiving meal for the homeless and home-bound. The meal will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 27, at the mission, 520 Walker St.
The mission needs turkeys and green beans. To volunteer or for more information, call the Augusta Rescue Mission at (706) 722-2058.
If you are home-bound and need a Thanksgiving meal, call the mission to register for a delivery.
Red Ribbon Ball
As part of the observation of World AIDS Day 2008, a Red Ribbon Ball will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at the Marion Hatcher Center, 519 Greene St. The event will feature a silent auction, food, live music and dancing. Proceeds from the event will benefit St. Stephen's Ministry of Augusta. Tickets are $25 each. For more information, call (706) 722-7092.
Donations needed
Golden Harvest Food Bank is seeking donations of canned meats and vegetables and other nonperishable food items. Take donations to 3310 Commerce Drive, Augusta; or 13 Enterprise Ave., Aiken.
Call (706) 736-1199 or (803) 648-0752.
icon.
