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Montgomery County is accepting donations of food, gift cards, gifts for children and/or cash as part of its Holiday Giving Project.

Interfaith Works, a non-sectarian nonprofit organization with more than 140 member and affiliated congregations that works to meet the needs of the poor in the county, is spearheading the project for the second year. The Montgomery County Volunteer Center, which ran the project for many years, continues to work closely with Interfaith Works on the effort, the county reported.

The project, which has been aiding low-income families for 30 years, accepts referrals for holiday assistance. More than 9,000 families were served last year.

Service opportunities include organizing a food, gift card or toy collection drive; sponsoring a family or families in a specific neighborhood/ zip code; and volunteering at Holiday Giving Project distribution sites.

For more information on the Holiday Giving Project, visit www.iworksmc.org/holidaygiving.html. To donate online, visit www.iworksmc.org/s-donation.html, click on the Network for Good button and enter Holiday Giving Project in the Designation box.

To donate food, gifts or gift cards or to volunteer, contact Susan Klavon at Interfaith Works at 301-315-1094 or giving@iworksmc.org. 

For more information about other ways to help during the holidays, call the Volunteer Center at 240-777-2600 or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/volunteer.

Have a heart

House With a Heart, a senior pet sanctuary in Laytonsville, will hold its first Holiday Open House noon-3 p.m. Saturday.

The free event will be at House With a Heart, 6409 Stream Valley Way, and include refreshments and a chance to meet the pet sanctuary's residents. Donations are not required but a list of suggested donations such as paper towels, bleach and laundry detergent is posted at www.housewithaheart.com.  

House With a Heart founder Sher Polvinale received the Humane Award of the Year from the Montgomery County Humane Society at its annual Love Ball on Nov. 7 for her work with the sanctuary.

Community Chorus performs annual winter concert

Gaithersburg Community Chorus performs its 22nd annual winter concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Watkins Mill High School Auditorium, 10301 Apple Ridge Road in Montgomery Village. Admission is free. Donations are accepted.

The 60-member chorus, directed by Hugh Harvey III and accompanied by Mary Ku Hartsell, will perform "Magnificat" by John Rutter, "Yesusum midbar vetsiyah" by Solomon Rossi and "Candle Blessing for Chanukah" by Joshua Jacobson.

The night includes a singalong of popular Christmas carols and a resounding performance of the "Hallelujuah Chorus!" by G. F. Handel.

The chorus is looking for members. No auditions necessary. The group is open to anyone high school-aged or older.

Rehearsals run from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. September through June. The chorus presents two annual concerts and performs at special events throughout the year. For more information, call Nansie Heimer Wilde at 301-258-6350 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

Christmas Tree sale

St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church holds its 25th Annual Christmas Tree Sale & Shoppe this year. The sale, held in a large lighted lot at 11701 Clopper Road, operates daily 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Dec. 19, and closes Dec. 20.

The church sells more than 1,000 prime Douglas and Fraser firs and hundreds of hand-decorated wreaths at the sale each year.

The Christmas Shoppe offers decorations, gifts and Christmas goodies. Approximately 250 volunteers help with the sale and bring good cheer. For more information, call 301-318-1198 or e-mail Christmas@strose.com.

Breakfast with Santa

Santa knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so he has decided to stop by from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the North Creek Community Center, 20125 Arrowhead Road in Montgomery Village to share a meal with all of his favorite good girls and boys.

Children, ages 6 months to 8 years, accompanied by a parent/ guardian, will enjoy breakfast, arts and crafts, and a visit and photo with Santa.

The cost is $10 per child for Village residents, $15 per child for non-residents and $5 per adult.

Participants must pre-register with the Montgomery Village Foundation by Dec. 10.

For details, contact Jana Serlo at 301-948-0110, ext. 334 or jserlo@mvf.org.

Holiday Toys for Tots concert

Bring the entire family Sunday to Lake Marion Community Center, 8821 E. Village Ave., Montgomery Village for a holiday concert performance by the Montgomery Village Community Band.

The fun starts at 2:30 p.m. Director Gordon Bowie will present a program of holiday music. Admission and refreshments are free. In the spirit of the season, guests are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to benefit the U.S. Marines' Toys for Tots Foundation.

For more information, contact Ed Kallas at 301-948-0110, ext. 338 or ekallas@mvf.org.

The Christmas spirit

See a unique one-man show adaptation of "A Christmas Carol — a Ghost Story of Christmas" produced by Forged Chains at the Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road in Kentlands.

Paul Morella, seen at the Arts Barn Theatre in last season's "The Clarence Darrow Story," will help recount the Charles Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and an evening of ghostly visitations that lead to redemption.

Performances will be held through Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with matinee performances at 5 p.m. Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $18, $16 for City of Gaithersburg residents and $9 for children under 18. The show is recommended for audiences 8 and older, according to a city statement.

For more information and tickets call 301-258-6394 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov/artsbarn.

Send items to Patricia M. Murret via e-mail at pmurret@gazette.net, fax at 301-670-7183 or mail to The Gaithersburg-Montgomery Village Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.