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Free Christmas dinner in Monroeville
Christ the Divine Church, 245 Azalea Drive, Monroeville, will host a free Christmas Day dinner in their Lourdes Center this year.
Dinner begins at 12:30 and will continue until 3 p.m., or until the supply of food is exhausted. Everyone from the area is welcome to attend.
New Year’s ball drop at noon
For those who who don’t want to stay up until midnight, the Monroeville Public Library will host a ball drop at noon on Dec. 31 inside the Monroeville Mall, 200 Mall Circle Drive.
This free, all-ages New Year’s Eve celebration will be held on the mall’s lower level in front of Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Festivities start at 11:30 a.m. and will include a raffle, party hats and horn blowers, while supplies last. At noon, a disco ball will be lowered so families can ring in the new year together.
For questions, email Alice Rathjen at rathjena@monroevillelibrary.org or call the library at 412.372.0500.
Holy Family Parish offering free brunch
Holy Family Parish in Oakmont, Penn Hills, Plum and Verona again will be hosting a free brunch on Christmas Day.
Everyone from the surrounding area is welcome to attend.
The brunch will be from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at two parish locations:
• St. Joseph Church Hall, 825 Second St., Verona
• Our Lady of Joy Church Hall, 2000 O’Block Road, Plum
Reservations are required by Dec. 23 by calling Noreen at 412-296-1709 or Dave at 412-932-5531 or by emailing sos@holyfamilypgh.org.
Everyone also is welcome to join Mass on Christmas Day at any of the churches in Holy Family Parish, especially at 9:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Church and 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Joy.
For details, call Holy Family Parish at 412-793-4511 or visit online at www.holyfamilypgh.org.
American Legion scholarships
The Pennsylvania American Legion is taking entries for its annual essay contest. Winners will receive $3,500, $3,000 or $2,500 scholarships.
The contest is open to students in multiple categories: grades 6 – 12. Students can be from public, private, parochial, cyber/charter or homeschooled.
Students must submit their essay by mail or hand delivery to their local American Legion post by Jan. 8 for those in grades 9-12, and by Feb. 5 for those in grades 6-8. Complete rules and regulations are available at PA-legion.com/programs/student-and-youth/essay-program or by emailing wareagles79@hotmail.com.
The Legion also hosts an oratorical contest with scholarships offering $7,500, $5,000 and $4,000. That contest is open to those in grades 9-12. More information is available at Legion.org/oratorical or by emailing jgdrnjevich@aol.com.
Upcoming library programs
The Monroeville Public Library, 4000 Gateway Campus Boulevard, will host the following programs:
• English as a Second Language conversation group, 7 p.m. Jan. 2. Meet other English learners for conversational practice, to ask and answer questions on seasonal topics and learn new vocabulary. Registration is requested but not required.
• Classic film night, 6 p.m. Jan. 6 with a showing of “The Third Man,” written by novelist Graham Greene and set during World War II in Allied-occupied Vienna. No registration required.
• Money management presentation, 6-8:30 p.m. Jan. 14 with Regina Carmine from the Allegheny County Financial Empowerment Center. She will discuss tracking your income and expenses, budgeting, the importance of saving and more. No registration required.
• Dealing with osteoarthritis, 2-3:30 p.m. Jan. 15 with staff from Alliance Physical Therapy. Learn about the progressive breakdown of joint surfaces, chronic inflammation and more. No registration required.
• First-time home buyer seminar, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 15 with representatives from S&T Bank and Century 21 Frontier Realty. Registration is required.
For more information, or to register for a program, call the library at 412-372-0500 or visit MonroevilleLibrary.org.
Heating assistance available
Thousands of eligible customers miss out on bill assistance by not applying for federal grants. With the winter season approaching, many income-eligible customers remain unaware of programs that can significantly reduce their energy bill.
Peoples Natural Gas, an essential utilities company, encourages its customers to take advantage of available resources to help offset winter heating costs.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), is now open for the 2024-25 heating season. LIHEAP is a federally funded assistance program that provides grants to eligible low-income households to help pay for heating costs. Grants start at $200 and may be higher based on income and the number of people living in the home.
To qualify for a LIHEAP grant, customers must have a total gross household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. Customers do not have to be on public assistance or have an unpaid heating bill. LIHEAP is open to renters and homeowners. To learn more about the income limits and to apply, visit Pa.gov/en/agencies/dhs.html, click on Services in the menu and search for LIHEAP.
In addition to LIHEAP, Peoples offers programs to help make energy-saving home improvements that reduce long-term costs. If you or someone you know needs assistance, call 800-400-9276 or visit Peoples-gas.com/help to learn more.
Blood donors sought
The American Red Cross and Vitalant are encouraging prospective blood donors to step up now that cold weather is here.
Donations of all blood types are crucial year-round, especially type O, the most frequently transfused blood type. O-negative blood can be given to patients of any blood type, while O-positive can help most patients.
To find a Red Cross location near you and to learn more about blood donation, including eligibility information, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).
To make an appointment and find locations, visit vitalant.org, download and use the Vitalant app or call 877-258-4825.
Anti-litter award program offered for kids
Environmental nonprofit Keep America Beautiful is seeking entries from children in kindergarten through sixth grade for its Litter Hawk Youth Award Program.
Children are asked to complete a project sharing their hope, optimism and concerns about litter and inspire others through art, words or video.
The theme for the contest is “Join the Greatest American Cleanup! Show us how you can keep your community litter-free for America’s 250th birthday.”
Children in kindergarten through grade 4 can create a poster; those in grade 5 are asked to write an essay; and those in grade 6 can create a video.
The deadline to participate is Jan. 31. Winners will be announced in April as part of an awards ceremony at the state Capitol building in Harrisburg.
For an entry form, go to KeepPABeautiful.org/grants-awards/awards/litter-hawk, email slarson@keeppabeautiful.org or call 724-836-4121, ext. 104.
Free books available monthly for kids through age 5
Children who reside in the ZIP codes of 15140, 15145 and 15148 are eligible to receive free books every month until their 5th birthday through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in conjunction with Reading Ready Pittsburgh.
The program, which aims to inspire a love of reading, is open to all children within the city of Pittsburgh and 18 ZIP codes in the surrounding area.
Each month, a new, carefully selected book will be mailed in your child’s name directly to your home. The first book is always the classic “The Little Engine That Could.”
For details about the program and to enroll your child, visit readingreadypittsburgh.org/DPIL.
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.
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