Metro digest

Salvation Army taking applications for help

YOUNGSTOWN— The Salvation Army will accept second-chance applications for Christmas assistance Tuesday and Thursday at 1501 Glenwood Avenue.

Doors open at 10 a.m. and close at noon. The criteria for assistance are:

UPresent household income must be at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.

UApplicant must sign an income verification form.

UMust present a valid ID for all adults in the household.

UMust present Social Security cards for everyone in the household.

UMust present insurance or medical cards, birth certificates, court papers or other proof of guardianship for all children age 0 through 17.

Applicants may sign up for assistance through only one church or agency.

Donations needed

LIBERTY — Donations of books, toys and clothing are needed for the community Sharing Tree project. The project provides Christmas assistance to families in need. To participate, choose a name-tag from a tree in the Liberty Township Administration building, Temple El Emeth, Jewish Community Center, Liberty Library or Liberty Wal-Mart. Gifts should not be wrapped. Including a gift bag with the gift is appreciated. Donations should be delivered to the township administration building by Dec. 8. Include the name tag from the tree with the donation.

Christmas parade

EAST PALESTINE — The 2009 Christmas parade will be Dec. 5 along Market Street. The event, sponsored by the East Palestine Moose Lodge 467, will begin at 2 p.m. at the city park.

Safety funds awarded

YOUNGSTOWN — The Ohio Department of Public Safety has awarded $42,935 in federal traffic-safety funds to the city police department for the federal fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

The money will be targeted to traffic-law enforcement in high-accident areas on and near South Avenue, Midlothian Boulevard, Glenwood Avenue, Meridian Road, U.S. Routes 62 and 422 and I-680, said police Chief Jimmy Hughes.

Enforcement priorities will include impaired driving, seat-belt use and motorcycle safety, he said.

Thrift shop

NEWTON FALLS —The Church Mouse Thrift Shop offers Christmas decorations and items at low prices. All proceeds from sales help people in need in Newton Falls. The thrift shop is at 26 Ω W. Broad St.

Angel Giving Tree

YOUNGSTOWN — J.C. Penney Co. and the Salvation Army are joining forces this Christmas season with an Angel Giving Tree program. The last date to adopt an angel is Dec. 9, and the deadline for turning in gifts is Dec. 14. J.C. Penney customers can adopt and shop online for Angels at www.jcp.com/angel to provide Christmas gifts to children and seniors facing hardship in communities across the country.

The new online Angel Giving Tree program builds on the legacy of The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program that has been in operation for more than 40 years.

In collaboration with FedEx Ground, Angel Giving Tree gifts purchased through jcp.com can be shipped free of charge to any one of the 1,200 Salvation Army collection centers nationwide – putting the entire selection, shopping and delivery process at the customer’s fingertips.

Red Kettle Campaign

YOUNGSTOWN — The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign is under way and will run through Dec. 24. The bells will be ringing at Red Kettle sites throughout Mahoning County from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily except Sundays.

Funds raised by the Red Kettle Campaign, the largest single annual fundraiser by The Salvation Army, represent 75 percent of The Salvation Army’s annual budget.