hurricane isaac
Red Cross sends volunteers, vehicles to Gulf of Mexico
The American Red Cross is sending 15 volunteers and two emergency response vehicles from Western New York to the Gulf of Mexico region to help communities under warnings from Hurricane Isaac.
The vehicles, each staffed by two volunteers, will leave from Niagara Falls and Jamestown this morning to assist in mass care and feeding efforts in Port Allen, La. The Red Cross expects to send more volunteers as the storm develops.
Donations to help the Red Cross assist victims may be made by calling toll-free (800) RED CROSS or visiting www.redcross.org. Texting REDCROSS to 90999 will register a $10 donation.
health education
Oishei Foundation provides grant to aid center’s program
The John R. Oishei Foundation has given a grant of $116,500 to help the Erie Niagara Area Health Education Center develop a program that will provide health information in cooperation with faith-based organizations.
The 18-month initiative called PHAITH will include training by Dr. Teresa Cutts and her team from the Research and Innovative Practice at the Center of Excellence in Faith and Health at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine. Cutts is in charge of evaluation and program development for the Congregational Health Network in Memphis.
“This initiative is about empowering community leadership, developing their skills and engaging the community to be more involved in their health,” said Mary Craig, president and chief executive officer of the Erie Niagara Area Health Education Center.
daemen college
Free weekend art classes set for veterans this fall
Daemen College is offering free weekend art classes for veterans this fall. Classes – through a program called the Veterans and Artists Collaborative – will be offered from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays in Room 103 of the Daemen Business Building on the campus at 4380 Main St., Amherst.
The classes will be held on the following Saturdays: Sept. 8, Sept. 15, Sept. 22, Oct. 27, Nov. 27, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8.
“Some of the veterans have artistic talent but have not done any art in many years, so this class sometimes reawakens their ability to create art,” said Jackie Albarella, one of the co-founders of the collaborative. “Many participants have said how this gives them a chance to forget their troubles and try something new.”
KEN-TON SCHOOLS
Eligibility guidelines released for free, reduced-price meals
Eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-price meals in the Ken-Ton School District have been released by district officials.
Household size and income are used in calculating both. For a family of four, for example, the 2012-13 income level is $29,965 for free lunches and $42,643 for reduced-price lunches. The full-price costs for those meals are $1.00 for breakfast; $1.60 for lunch in kindergarten through grade five; and $1.90 in grades six through 12.
Applications and eligibility guidelines can be found at www.kenton.k12.ny.us; click on Lunch Menus.