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Confused? Learn how to choose the right federal health benefit plan.
U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (D-Dist. 8) of Kensington invites all community members to his seventh-annual federal employees health benefits forum. The forum, in cooperation with the Maryland Federation of Chapters of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, will be held 9:30 to 11 a.m. Nov. 16 at the Holiday Park Senior Center. The center is located at 3950 Ferrara Drive in Wheaton. Another panel will be held 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 19 in the Executive Office Building Executive Auditorium, 101 Monroe St. in Rockville. Ample parking is available on the street and in the parking garage across the street.
The panels will include experts on federal health insurance plans and representatives of health-insurance carriers. They will discuss various health-plan options and answer individual questions. For special accommodations, such as a sign-language interpreter, call 301-424-3501. For additional information or directions, call 301-424-3501.
Area church to hold
annual Christmas bazaar
St. John the Evangelist church in Silver Spring is having its annual Christmas bazaar, open to the entire community, from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 13 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 14. On both days, a variety of vendors will be selling gift items, such as Christmas decorations, home décor, jewelry, hair accessories, porcelain keepsakes, infused olive oils, religious gifts and much more. Other big draws at the bazaar are the treasure trove of antique goods and a used-book sale. There will also be delicious Italian food for purchase for dinner on Friday night and breakfast and lunch items on Saturday.
Friday night is also Adult Night, where grown-ups can sip wine, eat dinner, socialize and shop. Saturday is all about family fun, with a Santa's Workshop for kids to make crafts and gifts for their parents or U.S. troops abroad, play games in child or teen game rooms and write letters to Santa and peruse the gifts, too.
The church is at 10103 Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring. For more information, call 301-681-7663 or visit www.sjeparish.org.
Holiday Park Senior Center
to host fitness program
Montgomery County's Holiday Park Multiservice Senior Center is hosting a program on age-defying fitness. The program, presented by Dr. Carole Lewis, a nationally-acclaimed physical therapist, author and teacher, will be held 1:15 p.m. Monday.
The free program is taking place at the center, 3950 Ferrara Drive, Wheaton. For more information, visit http://www.montgomerycountymd.
gov/apps/News/press/PR_details. asp?PrID=5965 .
Brookside Gardens to hold decorative gourd painting class
Join Holly Stover of Brookside Gardens from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday for a class designed for children on painting gourds. The children will be introduced to a variety of gourds and use a step-by-step method of decorative painting to create a leaf-motif design on a birdhouse gourd — perfect for the garden or decoration inside the home. The fee is $15; registration is required by entering course number 87600 in www.parkpass.org. The class, for ages 8 to 12, will be held in the visitor's center children's classroom in the gardens.
Brookside Gardens is at 1800 Glenallan Ave. in Wheaton. For information on classes, call 301-962-1400 or visit www.brooksidegardens.org.
Wheelchair tennis to be held at indoor tennis arena
Wheaton Indoor Tennis will be offering an exciting new sport, wheelchair tennis, on Friday nights. Wheelchair tennis, which is sanctioned by the United States Tennis Association, continues to be one of the fastest-growing and most challenging of all wheelchair sports, according to officials at the tennis arena. Every Friday night from 8 to 11 p.m., several courts will be reserved especially for wheelchair-tennis play. For the rest of the year, the game will be free for players in wheelchairs ages 18 and up. Registration is required; visit www.parkpass.org. The Wheaton Indoor Tennis arena is in the Wheaton Regional Park at 11717 Orebaugh Ave. in Wheaton.
Wheaton Social Security
office to move
The Social Security office at 11006 Veirs Mill Road in downtown Wheaton is planning a move. Starting Monday, the office will have minimal service in preparation for closing down completely at noon Nov. 13. It is expected to reopen at the new location, 10230 New Hampshire Ave., suite 304, in Hillandale on Nov. 18. The office is now open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
All business can also be done on the Web site regardless of the date at www.socialsecurity.gov or by calling call 1-800-772-1213. Full service will be available at the Rockville office on 315 N. Washington St. or at the Greenbelt office at 7401 C. Forbes Blvd. in Seabrook.
Gilchrist Center to offer financial workshops
The Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity is offering a series of financial-management workshops and one-on-one counseling with financial experts in English and Spanish.
The class on home-ownership assistance will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday.
Counseling is offered from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday. To sign up for one-on-one counseling, it is required to attend the corresponding workshop. Space is limited for all classes; register by calling 240-777-4940. The Gilchrist Center is located at 11319 Elkin St. in Wheaton.
Senior volunteer
drivers needed
The Senior Connection urgently needs Montgomery County residents to volunteer to help their neighbors 62 and older live as independently as possible by providing escorted transportation to scheduled medical appointments, helping with grocery shopping and running errands and paying a friendly visit or making a phone call to share companionship.
The time commitment and schedule are flexible, and volunteers are provided with life-skills training and recognition events. The Senior Connection also provides volunteer liability insurance coverage.
Call The Senior Connection at 301-962-0820, or e-mail senior
connectionmc@gmail.com.
Interages looking for
after-school program mentor
Interages is looking for volunteers to work with two to four middle school students each to select and research a hero from the Smithsonian Postal Museum's online stamp collection. Each small group creates a project, such as a skit, poster or video, designed to share their learning at a culminating event at the museum in the spring. Training, materials and on-site support will be provided. Volunteers are required to commit for six weeks per program session. Days and schools varied; call for details in your area. For more information call Sara Cartmill, the Interages volunteer coordinator, at 301-949-3551 or 240-463-7411, or send an e-mail to cartmill@interagesmd.org.
Items for People and Places may be sent to Amber Parcher, The Gazette, 13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707. The fax line is 240-473-7501; or e-mail aparcher@gazette.net. Call 240-473-7563. Deadline is one week prior to publication for consideration.