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The Poolesville Youth Symphony Orchestra is performing its Winter Concert 2009.

The concert will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 18 at John Poole Middle School, 17014 Tom Fox Ave., Poolesville.

The orchestra and community will perform together in a musical program including the orchestra's accompaniment of a choral piece by the Poolesville Baptist Church Choir.

A buffet reception will follow the performance. Tax deductible donations are appreciated. For more information, contact orchestra manager Stacey Jesuitas at 240-994-5295 or jjesuitas@aol.com.

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.

Campus Congratulations

Hannah Guerra of Germantown, a sophomore music education major, was named an Andrew J. Rider Scholar at Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J. The award, named for the founder and first president of the institution.

TLC honors employees

The Treatment and Learning Centers recently named four recipients of the agency's Jonathan M. Stein Staff Appreciation Award for 2009, which recognizes TLC's staff for its outstanding service.

TLC is a nonprofit organization providing educational, vocational and therapeutic services to children and adults with disabilities and typically developing children.

The award is funded by an endowment from the parents of Jonathan M. Stein in appreciation for the support TLC staff provided to their son. 

"By their example, TLC's Stein Award recipients inspire every staff member in the organization to serve our community and our consumers at the highest level of excellence possible," Patricia Ritter, executive director of TLC, said in a statement.

This year's Stein Award recipients are Gwenn Blau and Debbie Ezrin of Gaithersburg, Emily Kehr of Germantown and Matthew Vadney of Brunswick.

Blau is the educational director and Vadney is a special education teacher at TLC's Katherine Thomas School, an independent day school for students with language and learning disabilities and high-functioning autism, preschool through 12th grade.

Ezrin, director of development, is responsible for fundraising and special events such as the annual King of the Road 5K Run/1 Mile Walk/Kids' Fun Run on Nov. 15.

Kehr is an employment specialist for TLC's Outcomes Service, which helps adults with disabilities engage in employment, maximize independence and access community resources.

Nominees were selected for their creativity, dedication, willingness to help, enthusiasm and energy. Recipients are nominated by their peers and selected by previous Stein Award winners. 

Holiday Giving Project accepting donations

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 301-315-1094 or giving@iworksmc.org.  For more information about other ways to help, call the Volunteer Center at 240-777-2600 or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/volunteer.

Share your good news! Send submissions to Melissa A. Chadwick via e-mail at mchadwick@gazette.net, fax at 301-670-7183 or mail to The Germantown-Boyds-Poolesville Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.