FYI 10/3/08

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site volunteers are needed to assist with income tax preparation for 2009 at the Corsicana VITA site, which will be located at the YMCA. Volunteers will receive training from Cathy Scott at Navarro College in mid-December, and will need to pass the IRS basic preparer’s exam. Most volunteers will work one three-hour shift per week. For more information, call George Burrell at (903) 874-2821 or Stuart Schoppert at (903) 874-8276, Ext. 3900. The VITA site will be open from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning Jan. 20, and the site will also be open some Saturdays.

A grief support luncheon is offered at noon on the first Wednesday of each month at the office of Hospice of Cedar Lake, 625 N. Main St. The lunch is potluck, so just bring a favorite dish. Anyone who has lost a loved one or friend is welcome to attend. For more information, call Hospice of Cedar Lake at (903) 874-2646.

4-H Riding Club meets at 3 p.m. every fourth Sunday of the month at Willis Arena, located on Roane Road. For more information, call Carla at (903) 851-1361.

Frost Volunteer Fire Department has a community service center to help families in the area, who have lost their homes to fire, those with a financial need or those with catastrophic medical conditions. Donations are accepted from 3 to 5 p.m. the second and fourth Saturdays of the month at the Community Service Center, located on Garitty Street in Frost. For more information, call (903) 229-0747. Frost VFD has smoke detectors available, at no charge, for the fire protection of qualified households which may include the elderly, disabled and economically disadvantaged. Applications may be obtained from the Frost VFD, Frost City Hall, Corsicana Fire Department or Corsicana Government Center. Also, if you have a loved one serving the United States overseas, and you would like to make a video DVD to make their day a little brighter, Frost VFD wants to help you get your message to those loved ones. Frost VFD can record a 60-minute DVD message and will mail it to your loved one in the armed forces. For more information and pricing, contact Iesha Young or Linda Meskimen at frostvfd@yahoo.com.

Volunteers are needed for hospice. If you have the ability to be a compassionate presence, and you are interested in volunteering and making a difference, call Hand in Hand Hospice at (903) 874-7700, Family First Hospice at (972) 878-2273, or Gardendale Hospice at (903) 874-3232.

Navarro County Office of Emergency Management and Local Emergency Planning Committee has community-based information Web site, www.navarrocountyoem.org. The Web site is continually being updated with helpful information.

Area Agency on Aging of North Central Texas, Ombudsman Program, needs volunteers interested in advocating for residents in nursing facilities in Navarro County. No previous experience is required, 36 hours of training is provided, it takes only two to three hours per week and the hours are flexible. Ombudsmen (advocates) investigate and work to resolve complaints for or on behalf of the resident and work to educate residents and their families on residents’ rights. For more information, contact Lisa at (800) 272-3921.

Shakers and Scrapers Car Club meets from 6:30 to 10 p.m. the second Friday of each month (March through November) at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 2217 W. Seventh Ave., Corsicana. Each month brings a variety of cars and spectators, as well as music, a 50/50 pot, and random door prizes. The cruise nights are weather permitting, and there are no make-up nights for them.

Cub Scout Pack 253 and Boy Scout Troop 253 meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Cornerstone Baptist Church, 801 N. 13th St. For more information, call Toni at (903) 851-6621.

A calendar of events has been developed to post community wide/county wide events for local interests and traveling tourists. If you have an event that you would like posted, provide the information to the Corsicana/Navarro County Chamber of Commerce by calling (903) 874-4731, faxing (903) 874-4187 or e-mailing to chamber@corsicana.org.