Plenty of local help, events available this holiday season

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all have a pleasant place to be with friends and/or family. As times are a little tough for a lot of people right now, it’s nice to know there are helpful, fun and interesting places and events available right here in our northern rural area.

If you need a little help with some of your food requirements, there are two places to turn to in Elk. The Elk Veterans of Foreign Wars Post sponsors an open, free food bank every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon downstairs at the Post.

The North County Food Pantry is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon and on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from 6 to 8 p.m. It is next to Country Church of the Open Bible at 40015 N. Collins Road.

•God’s Closet, open every Monday from 9 a.m. to noon, is downstairs at Inland Grange on the corner of Nelson and Conklin roads – just off Elk-Chattaroy Road. It has a great selection of clothes for the whole family, including plenty of “Coats for Our Kids.” Everyone is always welcome, and everything is free.

•Riverside Family Foods, on Highway 2 at Deer Park-Milan Road, is again sponsoring the Teddy Bear Tree. If you need some assistance for yourself or family members for items at Christmas, or would like more information, call Briana Beckham at the store at (509) 292-2253. After 3 p.m., you can reach Beckham at (509) 292-8597. If any of you generous folks, groups or businesses can help out some of your neighbors, be sure to go by Riverside Family Foods and pick up a tag or request a family to adopt for Christmas.

•There are some fun holiday events, as well as some good shopping opportunities available in the north county area. The Elk Community Christmas Day is Dec. 5. The Elk VFW Ladies Auxiliary will sponsor the Christmas Bazaar and Bake Sale that day, downstairs at the VFW Hall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There will be a wide variety of gift items available, such as jewelry, candles, photography, handcrafted pieces, woodcraft and the Elk Tracks Christmas CD 2009, “Elk Tracks – Gettin’ Back.”

There are still some spaces available to rent for $10 if you have an art, craft or gift item to share. Information: (509) 292-8250.

Also on the same day, from 1 to 3 p.m., upstairs at the VFW Hall, the Elk Community Park and Elk Music Association will sponsor the Kids’ Christmas Craft Party. There will be fun crafts to create, ornaments for the community tree and snacks and juice. The community tree lighting, bonfire and arrival of Santa Claus, also sponsored by the Elk Park and EMA, will start at the park at 4 p.m. So, take the kids down to the park and sing some carols around the bonfire with your neighbors.

For our neighbors to the west, there is a Christmas Craft Fair, on Dec. 5, at Deer Park Elementary. It is sponsored by DPHS to benefit the 2010 Senior Grad Night. For a booth space or more information, call Laurie at (509) 993-8937 or e-mail to laurie4653@yahoo.com.