The Stroller, April 14, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley

Small Acts of Kindness

Erin Wagner-Haggerty of Allegheny Township would like to recognize Dawn Smith-Galia of Tarentum for making over 500 cotton face masks with replaceable melt blown filters.

Masks are placed in bags of three along with treats and handmade thank-you cards with a poem and have been donated to front line health care workers all over the country including EMS departments, nursing homes, police departments, fire departments, retail and grocery stores, post office workers and Westmoreland County Transit.

Did your neighbor call and check on you, or bring soup or groceries? The Stroller wants to recognize those around us who are performing small acts of kindness for others during this stressful time.

Send a short, one-paragraph note highlighting someone and how they helped you, your family or your organization to The Stroller at vndnews@tribweb.com.

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Vandergrift Veterans of Foreign Wars collecting for needy veterans

Vandergrift Veterans of Foreign Wars is accepting donations of non-perishable food items, personal hygiene productions and grocery store gift cards for project Pa. Serves.

Donations can be dropped into the bin between the entry way doors. The outer door is unlocked.

Veterans who would like to sign up for the program can call 1-855-838-7744.

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PATH food bags for children to be distributed in Leechburg

PATH program weekend food bags for Leechburg Area School District students may be picked up from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays or 9 to 11 a.m. Fridays at the office entrance of Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church, 271 Main St., Leechburg.

For questions, call the church at 724-845-1901.

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Armstrong public defender applications available online

Applications for the services of the Armstrong County Public Defender are now online and applications can be mailed, faxed or returned by email, according to Chief Public Defender Chuck Pascal.

Applications can be accessed at co.armstrong.pa.us/index.php/departments-m/public-defender-m.

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Free Tele-CareGivers program offered by Concordia

Lutheran Ministries is accepting new clients and volunteers for its free service called Tele-CareGivers.

Volunteers make brief daily telephone calls from 8 to 10 a.m. weekdays to individuals and make sure that they can answer the phone, and then have a brief chat.

The average client is someone who is homebound or elderly, ill or disabled, is typically awake and functioning by 8:30 a.m. and understands that the volunteer has other people to call and can only speak with them for a few minutes per day. Clients can begin and end the service at any time.

Volunteers are someone who doesn’t usually leave home before 10 a.m., has a good telephone demeanor, enjoys talking to people and is able to recognize if a client is having a problem, then react appropriately to their training.

The program conducts routine background checks on all potential volunteers and each volunteer is then assigned one or two clients. If a volunteer can’t reach a client, they call the Tele-Caregivers staff, who takes over from there.

For information on how to volunteer or take advantage of this free program, call Ellen Milich at 724-352-6260.

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Send information of charitable events to The Stroller

Is your company or organization making or collecting equipment for health professionals? Is your club or church going to sponsor a community blood drive?

The Stroller will publish information about community drives and collections at Triblive.com. Send information to vndnews@tribweb.com.

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Calendar

Kiski Area School District

Wednesday: Kiski Area School Board hold its informational meeting electronically at 7 p.m. For information on how to view the meeting, email john.tedorski@kiskiarea.com or call 724-842-0457 by 11 a.m. Wednesday. Members of the public are invited to participate by submitting comments via email to chris.pastva@kiskiarea.com. Letters can be sent to KA Board of Directors, KASD, 200 Poplar St., Vandergrift PA 15690. All written comments should include the individual’s name, home address and topic. No anonymous correspondence will be accepted. To be included in the meeting record, comments must be received by 7 p.m. Tuesday.

New Kensington

Thursday: The Joint Operating Committee of Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center will meet at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Details: nwctc.k12.pa.us/site/default.aspx?PageID=1

Pittsburgh

Thursday: International Association of Electrical Inspectors Western Pennsylvania Chapter will hold its meeting electronically. Details: 724-274-0510

Plum

Today: The Plum School Board meeting set for 7 p.m. will be held online. Instructions to view the meeting will be posted at pbsd.net/MeetingAgendaandMinutes.aspx.

Springdale

Today: Allegheny Valley School District School Board will conduct a combined planning and voting meeting at 7 p.m. via teleconference. Information to call in and the pin number to enter the teleconference will be posted no later than 5 p.m. today at avsdweb.org.

West Deer

Wednesday: West Deer Supervisors will conduct the regular meeting at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The call-in number is 646-558-8656 and the meeting ID is 984 9235 6826.

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Cancellations and changes

Allegheny Township

Wednesday: The Kiski Valley Water Pollution Control Authority meeting is canceled.

May 17: The free Fishing Derby at Northmoreland Park that was planned by the Westmoreland County Bureau of Parks and Recreation is canceled, as are all park facility reservations for April and May.

Apollo

Apollo Area Historical Society museum will remain closed until at least May 2. The April 5 program about trolleys will be at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 2 at the WCTU Building, 317 N. Second St.

Arnold

Recycling collection has been suspended until further notice. All garbage and recycling items can be placed out for the garbage crew to collect. All items must be in a bag and tied up. No loose items will be picked up.

Thursdays: Services at Arnold Towers are canceled.

Arnold United Methodist Church: All meetings, activities and services are canceled.

Brackenridge

• The borough office is closed to the public, but is accepting telephone calls during normal business hours. Payments will be accepted by mail or through the mail slot.

Buffalo Township

Nar-Anon meetings at Generations House of Worship are canceled. Details: Laurie, 724-895-3385

Butler

Butler Lions Club has canceled the April membership and board meetings and the following events: the April 18 Adopt-A-Highway, the sausage sale and Mother’s Day rose sale. Membership meetings are tentatively scheduled to resume May 5.

Freeport

May 25: The Freeport Memorial Day observance is canceled.

Harrison 

• Allegheny Valley Association of Churches office is closed. Anyone who needs assistance can call 724-226-0606. Tax appointments will be rescheduled.

Saturday: The Earth Day Clean-up is postponed.

Leechburg

May 9: The borough cleanup day is postponed and may be rescheduled. The borough crew will not pick up lawn waste because the roll off boxes used to put the waste in are not available at this time.

Leechburg Recycling Center is closed. There will be no pick-ups or drop-offs until further notice. No materials should be dropped off in front of the recycling center gate.

First United Methodist Church: worship services are canceled until further notice.

Mondays: The GriefShare group sessions at First Evangelical Lutheran Church are postponed and will be rescheduled.

Lower Burrell

Saturday: The ClothesLine ministry at Bethesda Lutheran Church will be closed.

Wednesday: The Lower Burrell Planning Commission meeting is canceled.

• Entertainment and events at the Veterans of Foreign Wars are canceled and the club is closed.

Bethesda Evangelical Lutheran Church: is closed for all activities and services.

May 9: The Burrellton Garden Club May Mart is canceled.

May 16: The Animal Protectors Hearts for Strays luncheon at Hill Crest Country Club is canceled.

New Kensington

Knead Community Café is closed for the Easter break and will reopen at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church has canceled all Sunday services and church activities. Food bank service for April is canceled.

St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church is closed for all services, fundraisers and activities.

Mondays, Tuesday and Saturdays: The Community Clothes Closet will be closed.

Parks Township

May 2: Parks Township Sportsman’s Association has canceled the Kids Fishing Day.

Plum

Saturday: The Community Cleanup day is postponed and will be rescheduled.

Plum Community Center is closed and all events canceled. Meals on Wheels will continue as scheduled. Those over 60 who are food insecure or rely on the daily lunch can continue to pick up Congregant Lunch provided by the county on a take-out basis only. Pick-ups will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Lunches must be ordered a day in advance by calling 412-795-2330.

Oakmont

Riverview Community Action Corp. is closed for all activities except home delivered meals. Questions: 412-828-1062

Springdale

Springdale High School Alumni Association meetings are suspended until further notice. The Monte Carlo night planned for April 25 has been rescheduled to Oct. 3.

Tarentum

• BridgePoint Church: Activities at the church, including the grief support group, and the children’s food and fun event are canceled. A live stream of the Sunday church service will be on Facebook Live.

Today: The Produce to People distribution is canceled.

• Tarentum Eagles is closed.

• Tarentum Elks Lodge is closed. Entertainment, bingo and the May 2 cash bash are canceled.

• Veterans of Foreign Wars is closed and there will be no Friday night bar bingo.

• The Heritage Museum will be closed to visitors until further notice. Details: AKVHS.org or 724-224-7666

Vandergrift

St. Gertrude Church spaghetti dinners are canceled until further notice.

Vandergrift Public Library: the due date for all materials that have been checked out has been extended. If you log into your online account and notice an item with a different due date, please contact the library. The Book Drop is closed. Keep all materials until the library reopens. Tax forms have now been placed into the Little Free Library since the library is closed. AARP Tax Appointments have been postponed and representatives will contact clients directly who have an upcoming appointment.

April 21: The Miss Freddye and Musicians in Unity concert at the Casino Theater is canceled. For refunds, call 724-567-5049 if paid by cash or check. Credit card refunds will be issued to your card.

Washington Township

Saturday: The Star Party planned by the Amateur Astronomy Association of Pittsburgh is canceled.

West Deer

East Union Presbyterian Church: all services and activities are canceled, except for West Deer Food Bank and Meals To Go distributions.

West Leechburg

Saturday: The Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania at the West Leechburg Native Plant Preserve is canceled.