In brief: Peace Pole dedication, food truck event and more in Monroeville

Peace Pole dedication

The Rotary of Monroeville encourages residents to come out to the dedication of the newly installed Peace Pole on July 31 at 10 a.m. in Monroeville Community Park West.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald will be among several distinguished guests.

For more information, contact Som Sharma at 412-606-6868 or sohum1@gmail.com.

Food truck event

The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is hosting a food truck event and basket raffle from 3 to 7 p.m. on July 24 to raise funds to help build sustainable housing in Haiti. The church is at 4503 Old William Penn Hwy. in Monroeville. Participating food trucks include Kona Ice and JD’s Dahntahn Dogs.

Basket raffle tickets cost $1 each, 8 for $5, or 20 for $10. Basket themes include lottery tickets, basket of cheer, kids’ boredom buster, Steeler tickets and more. For more information, visit goodshepherdlife.org.

Student news

• Santino Comunale and Zachary Smith have been named to the dean’s list at John Carroll University for the spring 2021 semester. Students eligible for the dean’s list must have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours within one semester and have a quality GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.

• Claire Thorsen was named to the dean’s list for the 2020-21 spring semester at Miami University. Miami University students who are ranked in the top 20% of undergraduate students within their division for second semester 2020-21 have been named to the dean’s list recognizing academic performance.

• Raymond Healy was named to the dean’s list for the 2021 spring semester at Rochester Institute of Technology. Healy is in the computer science program.

Online giving event

The Pittsburgh Foundation is celebrating Critical Needs Alert Day with a one-day online giving event to benefit the Garden City Food Pantry in Monroeville. The event is slated for Aug. 3 from 8 a.m. to midnight.

Donations can be made at pittsburghgives.org. Search for “Garden City UMC Food Pantry.” Any online donation for the Garden City Food Pantry of $25 or more will be eligible for additional incentive funds from the Pittsburgh Foundation.

Garden City UMC Food Pantry

Garden City UMC food pantry, 500 Laurel Drive, holds distributions from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. Call 412-373-0391 for an appointment. Face masks are required. Upcoming distribution dates are Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 11 and Dec. 9.

Fellowship

• The 20th anniversary of 9/11 will be commemorated by the Hillcrest United Presbyterian Church during a special service Sept. 12 remembering the sacrifices of first responders during this traumatic event in our nation’s history. The 11 a.m. community service will feature special music as a tribute to those who gave their lives during 9/11 to save the nation from terrorism. The Hillcrest United Presbyterian Church is located at 1622 James St. in Monroeville.

English as a Second Language group

An English as a Second Language (ESL) Conversation Group is held at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the Monroeville Public Library.

Participants can meet other English language learners for informal and guided conversation practice, including reviewing pronunciation, learning new vocabulary and possibly discussing short ESL readings suited to the interests and abilities of attendees.

Sessions are open to all English language learners with at least some communication skills. For details, contact Cory Little at little c2@einetwork.net or 412-372-0500, ext. 122.

Farmers market

The Monroeville Lions farmers market is open from 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday at Monroeville Community Park, 2399 Tilbrook Road.

For more information, visit monroevillefarmersmarket.com.