Help by giving blood this holiday season

The American Red Cross is asking the community to give the gift of blood this Christmas season. 

A blood drive will be held from  2 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 26, at Bryant Wesleyan Church, 209 S. Hendricks St. 

Another will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 3, at Jay County Hospital, 500 W. Votaw St. 

To make an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767. On the day of the donation, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass to save time by filling out the questionnaire before giving.  

Donors must be 17 years old, have a driver’s license, donor card or two other forms of identification, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good general health.  

Arts Place classes

Registration is underway for ArtsWorks and MusicWorks classes to begin on Jan 2. at Arts Place Portland Center and Blackford County Arts Center and ArtsWorks classes at the Auglaize-Mercer Center.

Classes for adults at the Portland Center will include oil painting, clay classes, needle felting and tap dancing. Student classes will include clay classes, upcycled art classes, a Valentine’s Day art workshop and preschool art exploration.

Private lessons are available for students and adults in the MusicWorks program. 

Registration forms and scholarship applications are available at artsland.org or by calling (260) 726-4809.

Arts Place is also in need of artists to teach Arts in the Parks classes for the summer of 2018.

Teaching artists are required to have a four-year degree in the arts or have significant art experience. They are placed in local family homes and are responsible for their own meals and travel to and from the area.

To apply, artists should send a resume, 10 work samples, three class activity samples or community project ideas, and a letter of interest to [email protected] by February 5, 2018. For more information, contact Kimberly Anderson at (260) 726-4809 ext. 230 or at [email protected].

Teaming

Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana has joined Newman’s Own Foundation $500k Holiday Challenge, a fundraising competition on CrowdRise.

Newman’s Own Foundation was founded by the late actor Paul Newman to continue his philanthropic legacy and help make the world a better place.

CrowdRise is the largest crowdfunding platform dedicated exclusively to charitable fundraising.

Second Harvest has a chance to win up to $150,000 in the challenge to help support hunger relief. The challenge will continue on CrowdRise through Jan. 3.

To help Second Harvest win the Newman’s Own Foundation $500k Holiday Challenge, visit crowdrise.com/shfbeci.