In brief: Free community Thanksgiving dinner Nov. 19

SPOKANE – The Women and Children’s Free Restaurant will have its annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner on Nov. 19 in the Rogers High School cafeteria, 1622 E. Wellesley Ave., from 4 to 7 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public.

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

Fundraiser set for Olive Crest

EMERSON/GARFIELD – Olive Crest will have its sixth annual dessert and auction on Nov. 19 at the Lincoln Center, 1316 N. Lincoln St., at 6 p.m.

The event will include a silent auction, dessert, beer, wine, nonalcoholic beverages and a live auction at 7:30 p.m. Items to be auctioned off include vacation packages and gift baskets.

Tickets are $25 per person and proceeds benefit Olive Crest, a nonprofit organization that serves abused, neglected and at-risk children in Eastern Washington.

To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.olivecrest.org/ auction.

Food bank needs volunteer drivers

SPOKANE COUNTY – Second Harvest Food Bank is in need of volunteers to help deliver and pick up food drive barrels and boxes at locations throughout Spokane. Additional volunteers are also needed to assist drivers with loading and unloading food drive containers. Volunteers must be able to maneuver full containers weighing more than 50 pounds. Drivers must have a current Washington state driver’s license.

Shifts are during the business day, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, call Debbie Clemens at (509) 252-6257 or email dclemens@2-harvest.org.

Groups seek donations for gift boxes

SPOKANE – Area organizations will begin putting together boxes for Operation Christmas Child during National Collection Week, beginning Monday. The boxes will be delivered to the children by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian relief organization. The community can help by dropping off boxes containing toys, candy, school supplies, toothbrushes, toothpaste and soap for children in war-torn and poverty-stricken countries. Information about what to include and not to include, and labels specifying gender and age range are available at www.samaritans purse.org.

Spokane donation drop-off sites include Valley Assembly of God, 15618 E. Broadway Ave. (509) 924-0466; Alderwood Manor, 3600 E. Hartson Ave. (509) 535-2071; Heritage Congregational Church, 1801 E. 29th Ave. (509) 624-5090; and Learning is Fun, 5414 E. Sprague Ave. (509) 536-4900.