Community Calendar & News

Kick-Off for
2003 Relay for Life

The kick-off for the 2003 Relay for Life of Cherokee County will be held on Tuesday, January 7 at 12 p.m. The kick-off will be held at Grace Baptist Church, 1160 Butterworth Road, in Canton. A complimentary lunch will be served. The Relay for Life will be held May 16 and 17 and benefits the American Cancer Society. To RSVP to the kick-off, call (770) 429-0089 ext. 216 or email at Kendra.krezanosky@cancer.org.

 Papa's Pantry

Papa's Pantry is seeking volunteers to assist with food drives and fund raising. They take donations of food all year round and accept fresh fruit and vegetables that have a "shelf-life" such as potatoes, apples, etc. One of the donation barrels is located at The TowneLaker office at 1025 Rose Creek Drive. For more information, call Papa's Pantry at (770) 926-7128 or visit www.papaspantry.org.

Pet Adoptions

The Cherokee County Animal Shelter is open for adoptions Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Off-site pet adoptions are also held on the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Saturdays at Hwy 92 PetsMart, 1st Saturday at the Animal Hospital of Towne Lake (Dr. Weaver), 3rd Saturday at Haynes Pet Center in Towne Lake, every Sunday at Hwy 92 PetsMart and the 2nd and 4th Sundays at Barrett Pkwy PetsMart. All adoptions are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For additional information, please call (770) 345-7270.

 Playgroup Forming for
China Adoptive Families.

Families who have adopted children from China are forming a playgroup for families in the Towne Lake, Woodstock, Acworth and Sixes areas. If you have adopted a child from China and are interested in joining a playgroup, please contact Marie at (770) 517-5953 or Lynne at (770) 591-9424. Whether you're a stay-at-home Mom or Dad, working parent, or a family with school-aged kids, all are invited to join. Weekend gatherings are also planned. Families who are in the process of adopting from China or waiting to travel are encouraged to join in the fun too!

SPARE Seeks Volunteers

SPARE (Sterilizing pets and reducing euthanasia) needs volunteers to assist with transporting pets of the elderly, disabled, and disadvantaged to local veterinarians for spaying or neutering. Other opportunities with SPARE include fundraising and community outreach events, administrative tasks, and helping at the spay/neuter clinics. For more information, please call (770) 928-5120.

Anna Crawford
Children's Center

The Anna Crawford Children's Center is a child friendly home where children who have been sexually or physically abused come to begin the healing process. The Anna Crawford Children's Center has programs supporting emergency intervention, education and prevention designed to help break the cycle of child abuse. For more information about these services, call Vicki Benefield at (770) 592-9779.

Family Violence Center

The Cherokee Family Violence Center is seeking volunteers. The Center offers shelter and support groups for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. The Center will be hosting a free volunteer training session in the near future. For more information, please call (770) 479-1703.

 Free Yoga Class

The Center of Yoga is offering a free Yoga class to all new and returning students on Monday, January 6 at 7:30 p.m. The class will be held at Dance Imagination, 2485 Towne Lake Parkway. For additional information, please call (770) 517-5212.

 Habitat For Humanity
Seeks Volunteers

Cherokee County's Habitat for Humanity affiliate is seeking volunteers to help with the construction of several new homes. The majority of the work is performed on the weekends. Construction experience and skills are not necessary, as each home site requires a variety of volunteer contributions. They are also seeking financial, land and material donations for future sites. If you are interested in helping provide affordable housing for deserving families in our county, please call (770) 345-2796.

 Horse Therapy
Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are needed to assist with horses used to treat children with disabilities. Volunteers lead the horses, walk along side to assist with therapy activities, and get horses ready for each session. No experience is necessary, and training will be provided. Regular shifts (2 — 3 hours) are urgently needed Monday — Thursday. Fill in or on-call people are also needed. For more information, please call Bethany at (678) 494-6616.

 Hospice Volunteers Needed

United Hospice, which serves 17 counties in Northwest Georgia, needs volunteers. Volunteers for hospice care make tremendous contributions in the care of terminally ill patients and their families through visits and small tasks. If you are interested in volunteering or want more information, please call the Volunteer Coordinator at (706) 602-9546 or (800) 867-7976.