Poland Community Briefs

Christmas Eve worship

Prince of Peace Evangelical Lutheran, located at 2985 Center Road in Poland, will host a Christmas Eve Candlelight worship at 7 p.m. on Dec. 24. The service includes a special children’s message, as well as Holy Communion.

Arms Family Museum to have holiday display

Memories of Christmas Past, the annual holiday spectacular, will run through Jan. 4 at the Arms Family Museum. The seven period rooms of the Arms Family home are filled to the brim with rare, one-of-a-kind, vintage decorations that include ornaments, lighting, trees and toys. This display features many pieces from the Historical Society’s collection as well as items on loan from private collectors. Hours for the museum are Tuesday-Sunday from 1-5:00 p.m. and Thursdays from 1-8 p.m. The Museum is closed on Mondays, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Day. Admission for the exhibit is $7 for adults, $6 for senior citizens; and $5 for children ages 3-18 (under 3 are free). Proceeds from the event help fund the educational and exhibit programs sponsored by the Mahoning Valley Historical Society. Visit www.memoriesofchristmaspast.com or call 330-743-2589 for additional information.

Toy collection for children at hospital

“Brighten Up for the Kids” is a holiday fundraiser that collects toys, gifts, games and raises money for the children who need to stay in the hospital over the holiday. All proceeds, gifts, toys and monetary donations go to Akron Children’s Hospital of the Mahoning Valley. Items needed this year include coloring books, crayons, craft sets, games, books, infant toys, mobiles and onsies. The collection runs from Nov. 24 until Jan. 7. The last day for drop off for toys will be Dec. 23. They also started a Christmas light competition on Market Street to help make the area surrounding the hospital bright and cheery so that families and employees at the hospital can feel the holiday spirit.

No December meeting for Monday Night Writers

The Monday Night Writers group will not be hosting its regular monthly meeting in December. Instead, group members and those interested in fiction are invited to attend the “Celebrate Short Fiction” Day event at Barnes and Noble Booksellers in Boardman on Dec. 21 from 1-4 p.m. For more information, contact Nancy Christie at 330-793-3675 or by email at nancy@nancychristie.com. The next meeting of Monday Night Writers will be Jan. 19 from 6-8 p.m. at Peaberry’s Caf , located at 4350 Boardman-Canfield Road in Canfield. Area writers, both published and unpublished, are invited to attend. Led by professional writer Nancy Christie, author of “Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories,” the two-hour sessions include a mix of writing exercises, information on the creative and business aspects of writing and group feedback on ‘works-in-progress.’ The fee is $10 per class and registration is preferred. For more information, contact Christie.

Gamblers Annonymous to meet

Gamblers Anonymous, a 12-Step fellowship of compulsive gamblers who want to recover from their gambling addictions, will meet twice this week in the Youngstown-Warren area. A GA meeting is offered every Friday at Westminster Church, located at 119 Stadium Drive in Boardman, and another is offered every Sunday at Christ Church Presbyterian, located at 3425 Hopkins Road in Youngstown (Cornersburg). Both meetings begin promptly at 7:30 p.m. and last about 1-1/2 hours. Those who believe gambling has affected any part of their lives are urged to attend. For more information, call 330-505-5060.

Poland Cub Scouts to present body armor for new K-9 Officer

Due to the support and generosity of the Poland community during their popcorn fundraiser, Cub Scout Pack 2 in Poland has exceeded their goals this year. In turn, they have decided to help support the community that supports their Pack. The Pack presented body armor for their new K-9 officer to the Poland Township Police Department on Dec. 10. They are able to make this presentation due to the proceeds from the popcorn fundraiser, as well as the generosity of Blue Line Ltd. of North Lima, who discounted the vest as well as contributed towards the cost.

Financial aid workshop

There will be a financial aid workshop at Poland Seminary High School on Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria. This workshop is geared to parents of graduating seniors and is intended to answer the questions concerning the financial aid process. Parents of juniors are also welcome to attend to get an idea of what is forthcoming. Speakers at the workshop will be Gina McHenry from YSU’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship, along with Poland High School’s Guidance Counselors, Rob Sainato and Judy Volosin. Specific topics to be addressed include types of financial aid, how the financial aid process works, completing the FAFSA, alternative funding sources for higher education and a questions and answer session.

Wine taste fundraiser to be Feb. 6

The ninth annual St. Michael Parish Wine Taste will take place on Feb. 6 inside the church Family Life Center. Proceeds from the event benefit the Center. For more information, contact the Parish Office at 330-533-6839.

Student art on display

The Davis Family YMCA is hosting its annual Student Art Show from Dec. 1-21 at the McClurg Road facility. Students who learned or honed their skills at the Y during 2014 were invited to participate. More than 30 students will show 60 pieces of art.

While many are beginners, others have become so accomplished that they’ve been accepted into some of the most prestigious art shows in the area, often winning awards and selling their work. The opening reception will take place on Dec. 7 from 1-2:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the community.

For more information, call the Y at 330-480-5656 or email sgray@youngstownymca.org.

Holiday closings

All libraries in the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County system will be closed on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24; Christmas Day, Dec. 25; New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31; and New Year’s Day, Jan. 1.

Friends of PLYMC’s Canfield Committee sets fundraiser

Support the new Canfield Library by purchasing Stone Fruit Coffee special blend for the holidays. The cost is $15 per bag. Coffee can be purchased from one of the Friends of the Library or at Stone Fruit Coffee in Canfield. Proceeds benefit the Canfield Library Capital Campaign.

Cheers to the new Canfield library

Pick up a flyer at the library and bring it to the Canfield Ruby Tuesday fundraiser on Dec. 30, all day, and 20 percent of the net sales will return to support the Canfield Library Capital Campaign.

Flyers will be available in PLYMC libraries.

Blood pressure screening

There will be a blood pressure screening by the Mahoning Chapter of the American Red Cross on Dec. 23 from 1-4 p.m. at the Poland library. This event is for adults.

Trim a tree for December

Decorate an ornament for the Poland library’s all-season tree during regular library hours in the month of December. This event is for children of all ages.

Gotta Move story time

This event is for children ages 2-5 who are accompanied by a caregiver. Join the Poland library for a variety of musical and movement activities that appeal to the “young and restless,” stimulate brain development and motivate language learning on Dec. 29 at 6:30 p.m. Adults and children, get ready to act out stories and rhymes, sing and dance, and talk and play.

Enjoy the holly days

Join the Poland library on Dec. 22 at 6:30 p.m. for holiday games, songs, stories, crafts and more fun. This event is for school age children.

HMHP name changes to Mercy Health

In November, Humility of Mary Health Partners will change its name to Mercy Health. The change will more accurately reflect a partnership with the network of healthcare providers that comprise Mercy Health, the largest health system in Ohio. This transition began in July when Catholic Health Partners (CHP), HMHP’s parent, changed its name to Mercy Health. At that time, it was determined that all CHP markets would eventually mirror that name change. These changes are in name only. All services, locations, modes of operation, care providers, administrators and employees will remain the same. As part of the system name change, HMHP Physician Associates, HMHP’s employed physician group, will become Mercy Health Physicians. The names of HMHP’s three health centers – St. Elizabeth, St. Joseph and St. Elizabeth Boardman -- will change to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, St. Joseph Warren Hospital and St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital. During this transition, the Mercy Health name will be added to many materials, but new signage reflecting this name change will not be installed on buildings until a definitive time frame has been established for the full migration to the Mercy Health brand across all markets.

Carlozzi Financial Services hosts annual funds and food drive

Carlozzi Financial Services is again helping local families in need this holiday season. The public is invited to join Carlozzi Financial Services and their clients and give a monetary donation or a non-perishable food item to Second Harvest Food Bank. Monetary donations or non-perishable food items can be dropped off at Carlozzi Financial Services, located at 831 Southwestern Run, Suite 1, in Poland. For more information, visit www.CarlozziFinancialServices.com. Second Harvest Food Bank distributed more than 9.2 million pounds of food in 2013 in the tri-county area. Last year, Carlozzi Financial Services collected over 190 pounds of food and $960.00 in monetary donations.