Thirteen area churches and businesses will serve as collection points for Operation Christmas Child through Nov. 22.
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, headed by evangelist Franklin Graham, has delivered more than 77 million gift-filled shoe boxes to children in approximately 130 countries.
From Central Kentucky, boxes will be sorted and sent to children in countries that have experienced natural disasters, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty.
To register shoe-box gifts and find out what country they are delivered to or sign up to join volunteers at collection sites go to Samaritanspurse.org.
Fayette County collection sites are:
■ Porter Memorial Baptist Church, 4300 Nicholasville Road. (859) 272-3441. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday.
■ Consolidated Baptist Church, 1625 Russell Cave Road. (859) 299-8559. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to noon Monday.
■ Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Road. (859) 269-2800. Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday, noon to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. 3 to 6 p.m. Monday.
Discover covered bridges
There was a time when covered bridges dotted the state. Those were the days, writes author and historian Walter Laughlin, "of bustles and buggies, of parlors and pinafores."
Today, many of those quaint bridges are gone, including all of those in Fayette County.
Laughlin, who catalogs what bridges remain and the spots where those that are lost once stood, will speak at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Lexington Public Library Village Branch at 2185 Versailles Road.
The free program is part of the Lexington History Museum's "An Evening With Our History" series, regularly held the third Thursday of the month.
For more information call (859) 254-0530 or go to Lexingtonhistorymuseum.org.
Try out ice hockey
Bluegrass Youth Hockey Association will hold a free ice hockey clinic for kids 12 and younger, 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Lexington Ice Center on Eureka Springs Drive.
Skate rental is free; a helmet is required to participate, and bring your hockey stick.
The purpose of the clinic is to introduce children to ice hockey.
Come to the main arena to pick up your skates and carry them to rink No. 2 where an assistant will guide you. For more information call June Warta at (859) 619-6228.
Give to the homeless
To raise donations for Lexington's homeless population, Z-Rock 103 morning show personality Twitch will broadcast from and live alongside a PODS storage container through Friday.
As a part of the station's seventh annual Homeless for the Holiday event, a PODS container will be placed in the parking lot of Lucky Autosports, 229 West New Circle Road, and listeners will be encouraged to stop by and donate money, clothing, toys and food for people in need.
Donations collected through Friday will be distributed to area non-profit organizations including the Fraternal Order of Firefighters, God's Pantry food bank and The Hope Center.
Junior League grants
Lexington Junior League will award $30,000 in grants and help from volunteers to these six local agencies for 2011.
■ Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program, $5,000 and 12 volunteers. The Farm Co-op allows residents to participate in growing crops for income and for healing and self-sufficiency.
■ Hospice of the Bluegrass, $2,250 and eight volunteers. The agency provides quality end-of-life care to terminally ill patients and their families using a comprehensive spectrum of care.
The Therapeutic Recreation for Grieving Children and Families program offers bereavement services for children, teens, and families.
■ Friends of Indian Summer Camp, $2,250 and 12 volunteers. Indian Summer Camp in Shelby County provides summer camp experiences for children with cancer.
■ Lexington Dream Factory, $3,000 and 10 volunteers. The Dream Factory grants dreams to children who have been diagnosed with critical or chronic illnesses.
■ Moveable Feast, $10,000 and eight volunteers. Moveable Feast prepares and delivers hot, freshly cooked meals, five days a week, to people living with AIDS/HIV-related illnesses and patients of Hospice of the Bluegrass.
■ One Parent Scholar House (formerly Virginia Place), $7,500 and 12 volunteers. The self-sufficiency program provides aid to single parents who are full-time students in a post-secondary educational institution.
Grant proposals for 2012 are available at Lexjrleague.com and must be postmarked by Dec. 15.
