Community Calendar

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The Peoria City/County Health Department, along with Heartland Community Health Clinic, will be hosting several FREE prostate screening events for Peoria County residents. Any man 50 years of age or older, men 40 years or older who are African-Americans or have a family history of a prostate cancer, are eligible to receive the screening at any of these events. The Heartland Community Health Clinic will be offering free PSA tests and prostate medical exams (DRE) from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at 1701 W. Garden Street, Peoria on the following dates: February 19, March 5, April 2,16 and 23. To make an appointment for the Heartland Clinics, please call the Health Department at 679-6690.

Peoria Christian High School Key Club is sponsoring a “Help for Haiti” fundraiser at Culver’s on North University St. in Peoria. There will be 2 opportunities to “Help Haiti”. Tuesday, February 23rd and March 2nd. Ten percent of all sales between 4 and 8 pm on these days will go to support the Lerisse Family who serve as missionaries in Haiti. Along with the Culver’s fundraisers, PCS classes are putting together Hygiene Packets. If you would like to help, contact Tobey Hauter at 309-686-4500.

ASSE International Student Exchange Programs is seeking local families to host boys and girls between the ages of 15 to 18 from a variety of countries around the world. To become a Host Family please call ASSE Midwest Regional Office at 1-800-736-1760.

RSVP is a volunteer placement service for generous and enthusiastic people 55 years and over. If you have some extra time and energy, we are looking for you. Central Illinois Riding Therapy in East Peoria, provides horse-riding therapy for all ages of riders with physical, mental, and/or emotional disabilities. Volunteers are needed with animal care and staff support in the office during the winter months. Project Linus is an organization that makes, collects, and distributes handmade security blankets to area children in need. Sew, knit, or crochet in your home and drop off your blankets at area collection points. Group sewing meets monthly at Jones Sewing in Peoria. First United Methodist Church in East Peoria has an active quilting group that gathers on Monday mornings. They are always looking for new hands to join in their latest project. YWCA Adult Literacy Program, serving all of Tazewell County, has adult students who are ready to learn how to read or learn English as a second language. Literacy training (15 hours) is required and is being held in January.Volunteer as much or as little as you like.If you don’t know where to go or who needs your help, we do!For details, call us at 682-8521.

The Central Illinois Chapter Alzheimer's Association is looking for individuals in their 40’s and older and healthy seniors to participate in a new healthy aging program, “Train Your Brain” to begin January 26th. The six-week program will meet Tuesdays, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m., January 26 – March 2 at the Central Illinois Chapter office, 606 W. Glen Avenue, Peoria. Cost for the program is $30 per person. Participants will receive an Association tote bag, the Big Brain Puzzle Book, handouts for each session and a certificate upon program completion. Registration is required by calling 309.681.1100.

Free counseling is being offered to all by the Forrest Hill United Methodist Church in a non-discriminatory manner regardless of race, sex, religious beliefs, employment, ability to pay (free for all), etc. This is part of a marriage and family matters degree program. Services are for a variety of things including couple, individual and family issues relating to stress, job loss, grief, pre-marital and marital therapy, stress, blended families, empty nest syndrome, adoptive and foster parents, adjustment issues, women issues, infertility issues, and many more problems and issues. Day and evening appointments are available.Contact information for the church is 706 E Forrest Hill Ave Peoria, IL 61603-1926. Call to schedule an appointment- (309) 685-6243.

If you have a legal problem, but are unable to find or afford an attorney, the Marshall County and Stark County Legal Self-Help Centers may be able to help you. The new internet-based legal self-help centers are located in Lacon at the Lacon Public Library, 205 Sixth Street, and in Toulon at the Toulon Public Library, 306 W. Jefferson Street. The Centers will be available during regular library hours and can be accessed over the internet at www.marshall.illinoislegalaid.org and at www.stark.illinoislegalaid.org. The websites include legal information on unemployment, housing, family law, and bankruptcy.

Wandering is one of the most frightening and potentially life-threatening behaviors that may accompany Alzheimer’s disease. Fortunately, the Central Illinois Chapter Alzheimer’s Association offers Medic Alert + Safe Return, the only nationwide program that assists in the identification and safe, timely return of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias who wander and become lost. For more information or to receive a scholarship application, contact the Central Illinois Chapter at 309-681-1100, or its toll-free number, 800-272-3900, or log on to its website at www.alz.org/illinoiscentral.

February 2010

In celebration of National Pancake Day on Tuesday, February 23rd, from 7 am to 10 pm IHOP restaurants nationwide will offer each guest a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes. For every delicious short stack of buttermilk pancakes served on National Pancake Day, IHOP guests are invited to make a donation to the Children’s Miracle Network. Donations made at IHOPs in the Peoria area will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network program at Children's Hospital of Illinois. To find a local IHOP or to donate online, visit www.ihoppancakeday.com.

An Osteoporosis Heel Screening Event will be held on Friday, February 26th from 8 am to 12 pm at IPMR, 6501 N. Sheridan Road, Peoria. This Free screening is for any woman over the age of 50. Call IPMR at 309-692-8110 to sign up.

March 2010

The Peoria Area Retired Teachers Association monthly meeting will be held on Monday, March 1st at 11:30 a.m. at Barracks Cater Inn. Richard Frankenfeld will share information regarding Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System and its updates. Call Nancy Wing at 243-9218 to make your reservation.

The Peoria Garden Club will hold a business meeting and program on Thursday, March 4th at noon at the Lakeview Museum Auditorium. The program titled “House Plants” will be presented by Susan Butler. For additional information contact Judy Ziemba at 274-4551.

The Peoriarea Blind People’s Center will be holding their annual Spring Garage Sale, Thursday and Friday, March 4th and 5th from 8 to 4. It will be held inside the Center at 2905 W. Garden Street, Peoria. A bag of clothing sells for $3. Proceeds will help with services for the blind and visually impaired. For more information phone 309-637-3693.

Do you have a loved one behind bars? A Prisoner Support Group is being launched Saturday, March 6th from 10 to 11:30 at OSF Medical Center, 2200 Ft. Jesse Road, Normal. The purpose of the group is to help family and friends of the incarcerated get through the pain and loneliness because there is no one to share your feelings with. If you have questions, contact Joy Care Center’s office at 309-827-7919, or email joycarecenter@yahoo.com.

The Eureka Apostolic Christian home will be benefiting from an auction and bake sale Saturday, March 6th at Eureka Middle School beginning at 10 a.m. The lunch stand will open at 11 and the auction will begin at noon. A wide variety of baked goods, crafts and services will be offered. For questions call Sue Magnuson at 309-467-2311

The Junior League of Peoria will host Frolic with the Fairies, a Garden Experience at Wildlife Prairie Park, March 6, 2010. The one-day event is an opportunity for girls of all ages to explore a whimsical garden fairy world. The event will feature food fit for the fanciest of fairies, art & craft vendors, a story teller, style show and music by children’s artist, Julie Kay.For reservations or more information about the event, contact the Junior League of Peoria at 309-685-9312. Tea times are at 9am, 12:30pm and 4pm. Tickets are $25.

Help your neighbors in need. Join hundreds of volunteers on Sunday, March 7th for the FoodShare Can-A-Thon and collect non-perishable foods for area food pantries and soup kitchens. Phone 697-5762 to volunteer.

Maryann Russell, will be the speaker at the March 9, 2010 meeting of the Tazewell County Genealogical Society. Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site preserves the hard years of Lincoln's life and those of his fellow pioneers in a "living museum." Maryann will focus on the rebuilding of the village of New Salem by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1940’s, and introduce us to the book the Lincoln League has written about the reconstruction of the village. The meeting, which is open to the general public, will be held on Tuesday March 9, 2010 at the Society’s Erlicher Library, located at 719 N Eleventh St, Pekin, IL. The program will begin promptly at 7:00 PM.

Dr Vicky Loberg will be the guest speaker at the March 11, 2010 general meeting of the Peoria County Genealogical Society. Dr Loberg is a professor in the Math, Science and Engineering Department at Illinois Central College, as well as a lecturer and researcher. Dr Loberg follows the history of the treatment of communicable disease with her topic Quarantined: From Pest House to Death House. The Peoria County Genealogical Society general meeting will be held on Thursday, March 11, 2010 at the Lakeview Branch of the Peoria Public Library, 1137 W. Lake Ave., in the south meeting room. Meeting begins at 7 pm.

On March 26 and 27, The Association of Peoria Area Christian Home Educators [APACHE] will be sponsoring the 21st Annual Heart of Illinois Convention of Home Educators in the Peoria Civic Center. The theme of this year's event is Glorify God in Home Education, with encouragement through challenging keynotes, a full curriculum vendor hall and 46 workshops designed to encourage and equip parents and home educators. Whether or not families are home educating, this conference is designed to encourage parents to build strong families, strong parent/child relationships, and be active in their children's education. APACHE is excited to welcome Phil Downer as our keynote speaker. Phil Downer is the president of Discipleship Network of America. To find out more call (309) 472-3264 or go online to www.apachecentralillinois.org

The Peoria City/County Health Department, along with Heartland Community Health Clinic, will be hosting several FREE prostate screening events for Peoria County residents. Any man 50 years of age or older, men 40 years or older who are African-Americans or have a family history of a prostate cancer, are eligible to receive the screening at any of these events. The Heartland Community Health Clinic will be offering free PSA tests and prostate medical exams (DRE) from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at 1701 W. Garden Street, Peoria on the following dates: March 5, April 2,16 and 23. To make an appointment for the Heartland Clinics, please call the Health Department at 679-6690.

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