Submitted by Maria Reed, Administrator

Our annual bake sale at Old Fashioned Saturday Night was very successful and our quilt raffle did well. Bill Howell was the winner of the beautiful “Kinetic Energy” quilt in red, white, and blue, made and donated by Edie Beasing. We appreciate everyone who came out and supported us and other local organizations during this year’s fun event.

October is here, along with the full vibrance of Autumn. Be sure to watch our Facebook page and menus for special events and activities here at the center. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We will have pens and mints in honor of all who have been affected by breast cancer throughout the month.

We are still holding bingo twice a month on the second and fourth Tuesday. We received generous donations in memory of Donna Maddox and they will go directly toward our bingo prizes. Our seniors love their bingo. If you would like to donate to our bingo games, we accept new and unused toiletry items and personal hygiene products, word search and other puzzle books, disposable or reusable kitchen and dining ware, paper products, seasonal decorative items (the fall items are a hot ticket right now and Christmas is right around the corner) and more. If you have good ideas for prizes for the gentlemen who join our fun, bring them in. Candy and snacks are always cleared out by the end of the games. We appreciate everyone who contributes to all of our programs.

Our second annual fish fry is scheduled for Sunday, October 18, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Our menu will be catfish, chicken strips, cole slaw, baked beans, and dessert. It will be free will donation. If you would like to volunteer to help serve, clean up, or deliver to those who cannot get out, call the center. We will also have a sign-up sheet for dessert donations. We hope to see everyone come out. Look for the ad in the paper and our flyer on Facebook.

Three Rivers Hospice will be in Wednesday, October 14, at lunch time for information for prospective clients as well as local volunteers looking to help local patients. They will be bringing a fun fall treat and fall drinks. Come in and join us for lunch and get some insight as well.

Veterans Day is coming up and we are always ready to show our gratitude to our veterans. If you are a veteran, come in on November 11 for a free meal, gift, and recognition. Watch for our Thanksgiving dinner which will be held Wednesday, November 18. Details will be on our monthly menu and in the paper so put it on your calendar. This is one of our biggest meals of the year. Christmas dinner is in the beginning stages of planning and scheduling all the fun we will have in December. The holiday season is here. Remember to be thankful, generous, and kind during the holiday season and all year long for that matter. We appreciate everyone’s support of our nutrition program and everything this community does to help us serve older adults in and around Atchison County.

Happy fall y’all! – Maria