n Barnesville: The Rush, Ryan and Delano Senior Citizens Inc. meet the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month in the Ryan Township firehouse. The group recently welcomed three new members: Lorraine Lupko, Norma Lee Burke and Diane Gould. The group will sponsor a trip to the Bloomsburg Fair on Sept. 23. Anyone 55 or older is welcome to join the RRD seniors.
n Girardville: The Rob Krick Heart Fund Committee will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Parish Hall. All are welcome to attend. The committee is planning a benefit Chinese auction for Oct. 6 in St. Vincent hall. Doors will open at noon and the auction will begin at 2 p.m. The committee is seeking prize or monetary contributions for the event. Donations can be dropped off at Girardville Borough Hall during business hours or call Mary Beth Dougherty at 570-276-6361 to arrange for pick-up.
n Millersburg: The Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art will host a "harvest of autumn fun" from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 12, an annual event designed to increase awareness of the natural world with many activities for children and families, including live animal presentations. In a press release, Alexis Dow Campbell, the center's director of creative programming, said there will be face painting, a pumpkin patch, an art creations station, pumpkin bowling and children's train rides. The event's theme is "Honey Bees and Pollinators," so the day's activities will relate to the importance of bees and pollinators to the ecosystem. The center that day will also open a new exhibit in its Olewine Gallery, titled "Only Owls," featuring more than 40 works of art, each providing insight into the world of owls. Admission to the Olewine Gallery and the Ned Smith Gallery will be free to Fall Family Fun Day attendees. Admission to Fall Family Fun Day is $5 for people 2 and older. A family four-pack ticket will be available for $15. Everyone is welcome.
n Minersville: God's Bountiful Table provides meals for people who are disadvantaged or in need. The meals are served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month in the Father Anthony J. Ricapito Annex of St. Matthew the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, 139 Spruce St.
n Ringtown: St. Paul's United Church of Christ, 100 E. Main St., will sponsor a Kauffman chicken barbecue with pickups set for 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. Tickets for the takeout-only meal are $8 each. Each meal will include a half chicken, baked potato and cole slaw. Everyone is welcome.
n Ringtown: The Ringtown Area Library is sponsoring a bus trip to New York City on Nov. 16. The bus will depart from Ringtown at 7 a.m. and leaves the city for the return trip at 7 p.m. The cost is $40 per person for the day on your own in the city. Payment in full is required to reserve a seat. For more information or reservations, call the library at 570-889-5503 or by email to ringtownlibrary@epix.net.
n Shenandoah: A free "Kitchen Kettle" meal is available from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. the third Saturday of the month at Restoration Fellowship Church, 201 W. Oak St. All are welcome.
n Tamaqua: The Tamaqua Area Faith Fellowship Network is participating in this year's "Back to Church Sunday," part of a national movement of churches across America on Sunday, according to a network press release. Everyone is welcome to attend the area church of his/her choice. The movement's website is at www.backtochurch.com. Tamaqua Mayor Chris Morrison will issue a special proclamation at 6 p.m. Thursday at Depot Square Park for Tamaqua's observance. Back to Church Sunday was launched four years ago in response to a survey of 15,000 adults in the United States. Results showed a personal invitation from a family member would prompt 67 percent of Americans to visit a church and 63 percent said an invitation from a friend or neighbor would cause them to attend a service. About 20,000 churches are expected to participate this year, according to the release. The American Religious Identification Survey showed that 83 percent of American adults identify themselves as Christians. In contrast, another survey by the Barna Group indicated only about 20 percent of Americans attend church on any given Sunday. The movement has an interactive Facebook page: www.facebook.com/backtochurch. For more information about Tamaqua area churches, visit the TAFFN website at www.taffn.org.