In brief: Free food distribution will be Friday

MILLWOOD – Millwood Presbyterian Church, 3223 N. Marguerite Road, and Second Harvest Inland Northwest Food Bank will be handing out food in the church parking lot Friday, from noon to 2 p.m.

Free produce and perishable products for families in need of food assistance will be available and no appointment is necessary. Participants must be present to receive their food. Boxes will be needed to carry food.

For more information, call (509) 924-2350.

Church hosts annual dinner Saturday

VERADALE – The Veradale United Church of Christ will host its 70th annual harvest dinner Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the church, 611 N. Progress Road. The menu will feature turkey with all the trimmings, ham, Swedish meatballs and squash from the church’s garden.

All are welcome to attend. The meal is the church’s largest fundraiser. Donations will be accepted.

Talent show to benefit food bank

MILLWOOD – Jenny Hoff, Spokane Valley’s activist against ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is hosting a local talent show at Millwood Community Presbyterian Church, 3223 N. Marguerite Road, on Saturday, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Hoff is encouraging all ages and all talents to attend. No winners and no losers will be announced.

There is no cost to participate in the talent show, but nonperishable food donations are requested for Second Harvest Food Bank.

For more information, call Hoff at (509) 893-3373.

Military members, vets offered free meal

SPOKANE VALLEY – Timber Creek Grill Buffet, 9211 E. Montgomery Ave., will host a Timber Creek Military Thank You Dinner on Monday, from 4 to 8 p.m.

The event is open to all military veterans and those on active duty, who are invited to eat for free. The dinner celebration will include the local Veterans of Foreign Wars honor guard presenting the colors and a welcome from Spokane Valley City Councilman Bill Gothmann.

For more information call (509) 892-6390.

SPOKANE – Spokane County United Way and AARP are in need of volunteers to work at free tax preparation sites February through April to help area low-income workers and others who struggle financially.

Volunteers may be asked to greet, assist clients by filling out tax returns, act as shift coordinators, technical advisers and/or to serve as translators and interpreters. Each volunteer will be asked to commit four hours a week or 40 hours total for the tax season.

To volunteer, sign up with AARP at www.volunteers.aarp.org or visit the United Way website at www.unitedwayspokane.org or e-mail freetaxprep@united wayspokane.org.

SCC fall craft, food fair will be Saturday

CHIEF GARRY PARK – Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene St., will have its fall art, craft and food fair Saturday in the Lair-Student Center, Building Six, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Approximately 95 vendors from the Inland Northwest will be selling art, crafts and food items. The event also includes raffles, demonstrations and music.

Proceeds from the fair will benefit SCC’s environmental sciences student clubs.

Admission and parking to the fair are.

For more information, call Darcy Staudinger at (509) 487-7815.

Thanksgiving dinner planned Saturday

EMERSON/GARFIELD – The Women’s and Children’s Free Restaurant, 1620 N. Monroe St., will serve its annual community Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday at Rogers High School, 1622 E. Wellesley Ave., from 4 to 7 p.m.

All members of the community are welcome.

For more information, call (509) 324-1995 or visit (509) 324-1995.

Free tax workshop for business owners

RIVERSIDE – The Spokane office of the Washington State Department of Revenue, located at 1330 N. Washington St., Rocky Pointe III, Third Floor, will host a free tax workshop for new and small business owners on Wednesday, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

To register and for more information, visit www.dor.wa.gov or call (509) 327-0200. Space is limited.

Christmas boxes for children still needed

SPOKANE COUNTY – Locations throughout Spokane are putting together boxes for Operation Christmas Child, to help ensure that children in need will receive a gift this Christmas.

The holiday season is approaching quickly and members of the community can still drop off boxes, filled with toys, candy, school supplies and even toothbrushes, toothpaste and soap for children in war-torn and poverty-stricken countries. The boxes are delivered by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian relief organization. Information about what to include and not to include, and labels specifying gender and age range are available at www.samaritanspurse.org.

Spokane-area donation drop-off sites include Valley Assembly of God, 15618 E. Broadway Ave.; Alderwood Manor, 3600 E. Hartson Ave.; and Learning is Fun, 5414 E. Sprague Ave.

For hours call location sites. The final collection day is Nov. 22

Vendor space open for St. Luke’s craft fair

EAST CENTRAL – St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, 711 S. Cowley St., has vendor space available for its Dec. 3 craft fair, to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network. The fair will be held in the lower level of the hospital from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Vendors interested in participating in the fair may call Paula Jones at (509) 473-6089.