More News

Montgomery Housing Partnership is kicking off its 11th annual Angels for Children Toy Drive, which for the past decade has provided toys for less fortunate Wheaton children living in the Montgomery Housing Partnership apartments. The toy drive was created after a Wheaton mother and her six children lost their home and a son in a fire shortly before Christmas. The story made national news, and almost immediately the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad station was filled with gifts.

Steve Sobolewski, the deputy fire chief for the squad decided to hand out the extra gifts to needy children, and the tradition has continued ever since. A donation of toys or cash, used to purchase toys, will go a long way. The toys are delivered to area children in a popular Christmas Eve celebration with Santa Claus and his helpers riding in on a fire engine. For drop-off locations and volunteer opportunities, call Maureen Sweeney Smith with the Montgomery Housing Partnership at 301-622-2400, Ext. 38, or send her an e-mail at msmith@mhpartners.org. For cash donations, send checks to Angels for Children, Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce, 2401 Blueridge Ave., Suite 101, Wheaton, MD, 20902.

Chamber of Commerce

to hold holiday mixer, toy drive

The Wheaton and Kensington Chamber of Commerce will hold a holiday mixer from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today at Montgomery Housing Partnership's Pembridge Community Center, 2315 Blueridge Ave. in Wheaton. Celebrate the season and participate in the kickoff of the 11th Annual Angels for Children Holiday Toy Drive. Bring a new, unwrapped toy for the toy drive. Refreshments and wine will be served.

Wheaton skaters win regional gold; qualify for Nationals

Local skaters from the Wheaton Ice Skating Academy made a big showing at last week's East Coast Sectional Figure Skating Championship, held in Newark, Delaware, by winning gold and qualifying six local teams to the U.S. National Championships —the first time any skater from Wheaton Ice will be at the premier national competition. Sister-and-brother duo Danvi Pham and Vu Pham won gold in the novice section as well as a pass to Nationals. Their teammates, Kristina Rexford and Michael Parsons and Lorraine McNamara and Quinn Carpenter won third and fourth, respectively, and will also attend Nationals. All three duos, with ages ranging from 10 to 14, are among the youngest ever to compete on the national figure skating scene. They will make their debut Jan. 14-26 in Spokane, Wash., competing against other top skaters in the nation, including hopefuls for the U.S. Olympic team. The competition will be carried live on NBC.

At the intermediate level, Rachel Parsons and Kyle MacMillan took home the gold and Elliana Pogrebinsky and Ross Gudis took home the silver. Katherine Gourianova and Andrew Hickey won the bronze medal in Juvenile Ice Dance. All three teams will be going on to the U.S. Junior National Championships in Cleveland from Dec. 14-19.

Results of the Eastern Sectionals can be viewed at www.Icenetwork.

com. The Wheaton Ice Skating Academy was founded in 2003 by former Russian ice dance champions, Alexei Kiliakov and Elena Novak, later joined by a third coach and former Ukrainian champion skater, Dmytri Ilin. All three coaches train with their skaters primarily at the Wheaton Ice Arena and the Rockville Ice Arena. For more on the Wheaton Ice Skating Academy, visit www.wisa.us/index.html.

Westfield Wheaton to hold

12 days of holiday shopping

Last week the Westfield Wheaton Shopping Center kicked off the holiday shopping season with the mall's annual "12 Days of Shopping" celebration. The celebration, to be held every Friday and Sunday through Dec. 20 will feature give-a-ways, including a $500 shopping spree, laptops and a Smart Phone. Westfield Wheaton shoppers will have the chance to participate in enter-to-win shopping sprees, car and jewelry give-a-ways, holiday music, charitable giving opportunities, food samplings and discounts on holiday gifts.

Westfield Wheaton is located at 11160 Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton. Find out more about the Westfield Wheaton "12 Days of Shopping" celebration by visiting www.westfield.

com/Wheaton, by calling 301-942-3200 or by stopping by the Shopping Concierge at the center.

‘Greening' Wheaton

community meeting

Students in the University of Maryland Masters of Community Planning Studio course have been analyzing how "greening" businesses in Wheaton will improve the environment and how certain tools will aide the county and business community in implementing green practices. The class's findings will be presented in a community meeting 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 at the Wheaton Community Center, 11711 Georgia Ave. Come find out how possible it is to make Wheaton environmentally friendly. Refreshments will be served, all are welcome.

Solve your gardening problems over the weekend

The Montgomery County Master Gardeners will hold its Plants Clinic, helpful in solving almost any gardening problem, in the library at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave. in Wheaton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. every Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.

Join a developer roundtable

The county's Department of Housing and Community Affairs is holding a developer roundtable from 3 to 5 p.m. Dec. 9 in the first-floor auditorium in the Stella Werner Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. The roundtable is an opportunity for developers to learn about DHCA's housing development programs and loan-application process. It will include changes set to take effect in January. RSVP to Alisa Wilson in the Multifamily Section at alias.wilson@

montgomerycountymd.gov.

Eat pancakes and

sausage with Santa

The Calvary Lutheran Church and School will be holding a breakfast with Santa from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the school, 9545 Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring. Santa will arrive on his fire truck at 9 a.m. Enjoy pancakes and sausage, photos with Santa, live music, crafts and fun. Cost is $6 for adults, ages 12 and up; $4 for ages 11 and under. For information, call 301-589-4001, Ext. 207, or mgall@celcs.org. Tickets will be sold at the rear entrance.

Women's group to hold

First Friday power breakfast

Join the Montgomery Women's organization's First Friday Power Breakfast, held on the first Friday of every month from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Silver Diner in Rockville, 11806 Rockville Pike. All are welcome to drop in at the informal gathering, to be held this Friday.

Attend a Social Security benefits seminar

The Collaborative Outreach and Training Committee, a cooperative partnership between the county's Department of Health and Human Services, the Arc of Montgomery and the Jewish Social Service Agency will be holding a free Social Security disability benefits seminar 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. today in the second floor meeting room of the Rockville Library, 21 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. Diana Varela, the public affairs specialist for the Social Security Administration, will present eligibility requirements and the application process for Social Security disability benefits, including the Supplemental Security Income and the Social Security Disability Insurance. She will also discuss Ticket to Work, which provides employment opportunities for beneficiaries of Social Security. Call to register at 240-777-1216.

Items for People and Places may be sent to Amber Parcher, The Gazette, 13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707. The fax line is 240-473-7501; or e-mail aparcher@gazette.net. Call 240-473-7563. Deadline is one week prior to publication for consideration.

County women's organization to hold December meeting

The Montgomery County National Organization of Women will be holding its meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Wheaton Library's large meeting room on the first floor, located at 11701 Georgia Ave. in Wheaton. Discuss upcoming legislation with Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring. Refreshments and a meet and greet will be held at 7; Mizeur will speak and hold a question and answer at 7:30 p.m. and a holiday social will be held afterward at 8:15 p.m. For more information, send an e-mail to info@mcmdnow.org.

Church seeking food pantry donations

The Oak Chapel United Methodist Church is looking for non-perishable food donations for area families. The church, 14500 Layhill Road in the Layhill area of Silver Spring, is collecting donations during church office hours, which are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Families in need are welcome to visit the pantry from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. For more information, call Dusti Conner at 301-598-0000 or send an e-mail to daisy_329@yahoo.com. You can also visit the church's Web site, www.oakchapel.com/outreach-food-pantry, for more information.

County's Democrat organization to host holiday party, toy and meal drive

The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee will be hosting a holiday party and toy collection drive from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday at the Montgomery County Education Association, located at 12 Taft Court in Rockville. Each attendee is asked to bring an unwrapped toy to be donated to Interfaith Works, a non-sectarian coalition of hundreds of county-based religious organizations that work to meet the needs of the area's poor.

Party attendees are also invited to donate $20 to Self Help and Resource Exchange, a nonprofit community development organization that offers nutritious food packages to organizations in the county. MCDCC committee members will help package the food for a family of four at the SHARE warehouse. For more information on the holiday party, call MCDCC at 301-946-1000. For more information on Interfaith Works' toy drive, call Sandy Raymond at 301-926-7783. For more information on SHARE, call Aruna Miller at 301-963-9474.

Provide support for families dealing with cancer

The Wellness Community, a Washington, D.C., cancer support network, is looking for volunteers to attend health fairs and community events. Make a difference by informing people in your local community about The Wellness Community's free programs of emotional support and education for people living with cancer and their loved ones. Volunteers are charged with distributing literature and talking about free programs. Good communication skills are helpful. Training will be provided. Visit www.thewellnesscommunity.org or call Luisa Carneiro at 301-493-5002 or send an e-mail to twcdc@thewellnesscommunity.org.

Help boost a child's self-esteem

Interages Inc., a county nonprofit that connects generations, needs volunteers ages 50 and older to tutor and mentor a child at a public elementary, middle or high school. With one to two hours a week, volunteers can make a real difference in the life of a child. Volunteers work in a group setting to provide friendship, encouragement and help with reading, language, geography skills and cultural activities. Each volunteer is matched up with an individual child. Training, materials and on-site staff support will be provided. Call Sarah Cartmill at 301-949-3551 or send an e-mail to Cartmill@interagesmd.org. Visit www.interagesmd.org for more information.

Ideas for giving this holiday season

The Thanksgiving season is a time when many of us think about all that we have and all that we are thankful for. Here are some opportunities to consider as a way to give back this Thanksgiving holiday.

-Help families through the Holiday Giving Project of Montgomery County. The Holiday Giving Project, lead by Interfaith Works, a non-sectarian community ministry in the county, provides food and gifts to families in need for the November and December holidays. Last year 9,000 county families received food, toys and essentials from donations. Individuals, groups and families can give gift certificates for food, clothing or toys as well as sponsor a food drive or adopt a family. For more information, visit www.iworksmc.org/holidaygiving.html.

-Participate or volunteer for a 5K or half-marathon. Do good Thanksgiving Day while running off turkey by choosing from one of a plethora of 5Ks or half-marathons in and around the county. For example, the YMCA Bethesda Chevy Chase hosts the Turkey Chase. Call Pam Mintz at 301-229-1347 or send an e-mail to Pam.Mintz@ymcadc.org to volunteer. Fannie Mae also hosts a Help the Homeless Walk. Visit www.helpthehomelessdc.org for more information.

- Be a Friendly Visitor. Not everyone can be in their true home or with their families come Thanksgiving Day. Visit your local hospital, nursing home or retirement home and spend time with the people there or help serve their Thanksgiving meal.

-Check out the list of holiday needs through the Montgomery County Volunteer Center at www.1-800-volunteer.org. There are a variety of organizations in Montgomery County in need of volunteers and/or donations during the holidays. This list changes so please keep checking back as the holidays near.

Karaoke in downtown Wheaton

Every Friday night, grab food and a microphone and enjoy Blinkie's Karaoke at Sergio's Places, 11324 Fern St. in downtown Wheaton. New hours for the bilingual karaoke night are from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Visit www.lasguanacas.com/sergios.htm.

Senior volunteer drivers needed

The Senior Connection urgently needs Montgomery County residents to volunteer to help their neighbors 62 and older live as independently as possible by providing escorted transportation to scheduled medical appointments, helping with grocery shopping and running errands and paying a friendly visit or making a phone call to share companionship.

The time commitment and schedule are flexible, and volunteers are provided with life-skills training and recognition events. The Senior Connection also provides volunteer liability insurance coverage.

Call The Senior Connection at 301-962-0820, or e-mail seniorconnectionmc@gmail.com.