Red Cross needs donations
As summer winds down, the American Red Cross urges individuals to give blood and platelets and help end an emergency summer blood shortage that began last month.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities include:
•Rogers: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 17, John Q. Hammons Center, 3201 Pinnacle Hills Parkway; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 27, Cabelas, 2300 S. Promenade Blvd.; 2-6 p.m. Aug. 29, Sunnyside Baptist Church, 210 E. Locust St.
•Bentonville: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 18, Hindu Association of Northwest Arkansas, 2500 S.W. Regional Airport Blvd.; 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 28, Bentonville Plaza, 609 S.W. Eighth St.
•Gentry: 1-5 p.m. Aug. 28, McKee Foods Bakery Store, 105 AR-59
•Fayetteville: 3-7 p.m. Aug. 20, Colton's Restaurant, 642 E. Millsap Drive; 2-6 p.m. Aug. 21, Gather Dickson Student Living, 333 N. Saint Charles Ave., third floor; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 24,Fayetteville Auto Park, 1418 W. Showroom Drive; 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Aug. 28, University of Arkansas; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 29 and 30, University of Arkansas, 106 W. Maple St.; 3-7 p.m. Aug. 31, Harps Food Stores, 1780 N. Crossover Road
•Jasper: Noon-5 p.m. Aug. 30, Jasper High School, 600 School St.
Information: (800) 733-2767 or redcross.org.
Blood center seeks donors
The Community Blood Center of the Ozarks strives for area blood reserves to be at around a three-day supply for all blood types. At the time of this release, the blood center has at least a three-day supply of all types.
Since it takes around 200 donations per day to meet area needs, the public is urged to continue to help by donating at a CBCO blood drive or donor center near them.
Upcoming blood drives include:
•Fayetteville: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 13, Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks, 1100 N. College Ave.; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 15, Washington County Sheriff's Office, 1155 Clydesdale Drive
•Bella Vista: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 14, St. Bernard Catholic Church, St. Bernard Lane
•Springdale: 1:30-4:30 p.m. Aug. 14, Tyson 412, 2469 W. Sunset Ave.
Information: (800) 280-5337 or cbco.org.
Reception set for Berans
A farewell reception honoring University of Arkansas at Fort Smith chancellor Paul B. Beran and first lady Janice Beran will be held at 5 p.m. Aug. 23 in the lobby of Windgate Art and Design, 535 N. Waldron Road in Fort Smith.
The event is free and open to the public.
Information: (479) 788-7131.
Send news about local events, charity fundraisers and family or class reunions to [email protected]. Deadline is 4 p.m. Tuesday for Sunday publication. Please include a phone number or email address for publication.
Job fair slated
Kasi Miller, vocational services coordinator for the Springdale nonprofit Arkansas Support Network, announced the Aug. 15 date for the Russellville Job Fair, an inclusive event for people with disabilities, as well as the general public in need of employment. The Job Fair, Employing Possibilities, will be held at Friendship Pediatric Services, 1301 Russell Road in Russellville. There are no booth fees for employers and a light lunch will be served for those manning booths at the fair. The cost of the fairs has been provided to ASN through a grant funded by the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. The initiative aims to inform employers in Arkansas about the benefit of hiring people with disabilities and connecting job seekers with disabilities with inclusive employers.
Information: (479) 927-4100.
Remembrance to be held
The OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology is holding their annual remembrance of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at 6 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Fulbright Fountain at the University of Arkansas.
OMNI remembers the death of 230,000 innocents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, renounces war and threats of war, affirms peacemaking by diplomacy and cooperation, joins the ICAN and Global Zero hopes of all humanity for the abolition of nuclear weapons, and celebrates the United Nations Treaty Initiative to ban nuclear weapons.
Music, poetry and speakers will reflect on the meaning of the day.
Information: (479) 442-4600.
Grief seminar
announced
Parents Left behind will hold the fourth annual Parents Left Behind seminar for parents who have suffered the loss of a child from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 25 at Central United Methodist Church, 19 Lafayette St. in Fayetteville. The seminar is for parents, grandparents and other concerned adults who are grieving the loss of a child, no matter the age of the child or how long ago the loss occurred.
The theme for the seminar is "You are Not Alone." Parents Left Behind is an organization founded by Dr. Susan Averitt, a local pediatrician and bereaved mother. Its purpose is to offer support to grieving parents and was born out of Dr. Averitt's desire to make something positive come out of her family's unspeakable loss.
The seminar will open with a keynote address by Dr. Susan Averitt, followed by a brief introductory video of the breakout presenters who are bereaved parents or grandparents. Each breakout session, a total of four, will include a grief professional, a bereaved parent or grandparent and a moderator. Counselors will be available, as needed.
Those attending may select two of the four breakouts. Breakout topics include:
• How could God allow this to happen?
• Can I forgive?
• Will I ever be happy again?
• How can I keep my child from being forgotten?
The event is offered at no charge, but registration is requested.
Information: parentsleftbehind.org.
Health summit
scheduled
Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks, along with community partners, is set to hold their sixth annual Veteran Health and Resource Summit from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Fayetteville Town Center.
There will be more than 65 VA and community resource tables with a job fair to be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Seminars will be held on suicide prevention, pain management, meditation, LGBT Health and more. There will also be free haircuts and massages available to attendees.
The event is open to the public but geared towards veterans and their family members.
Information: (479) 444-4087 or (479) 790-9068.
Art Group
Hope Cancer Resources offers a six-week art group for patients with any type of cancer. Members will create a collage of their personal cancer journey. A light meal and all supplies needed for the project will be provided. The next group will meet from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. every Thursday from Sept. 13 to Oct. 25 (excluding Oct. 4) at Hope Cancer Resources, 5835 W. Sunset Ave. in Springdale.
Registration is required.
Information: (479) 361-5847.
RPHS Reunion
announced
The annual fall reunion of former students, teachers and administrators of the old Rogers Public High School in the 500 block of West Walnut Street in Rogers will be from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 6 in the old Kirksey Gym, which is now Tillery Elementary gym.
Former students are requested to contribute $3 to cover the cost of the custodian who sets up and cleans the gym for the reunion. Kirksey Gym is behind the Rogers School District Administration Building on West Walnut Street in Rogers.
Information: (479) 936-9852.
Caregivers sought
The Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks is looking for caregivers to open their homes to veterans in the Fort Smith area. Homes selected for the VA Medical Foster Home program go through a comprehensive screening and inspection process. These homes must be clean and homelike, have an interconnected smoke-fire alarm system that is monitored both remotely and on site, and meet other program guidelines. VA Medical Foster Homes can care for up to two veterans per home.
Medical Foster Homes are privately owned/rented residences in the community where caregivers and the veteran live in the home together. This is a long-term arrangement where the veteran may live for the remainder of his or her life. The difference between a Medical Foster Home and a nursing home, is the individualized care veterans receive -- veterans live in a home setting with VA trained caregivers and can enjoy family birthdays, holidays and life events with a caregiver's family in a setting that is inspected, monitored and supervised by the VA.
Caregivers must have caregiving experience, complete an application, provide references along with other requirements. Caregiver homes must be within a 50 mile radius of the Fort Smith or Ozark VA Clinics.
Information: (479) 444-5065.
NAN Profiles on 08/12/2018