Community Calendar

CALL FOR ENTRIES

THE BOYLSTON MEMORIAL DAY COMMITTEE seeks craftspeople for its May 26 event. Call Laurie Benson at 869-6549.

THE NORTH AMERICAN OPEN AMATEUR POETRY CONTEST seeks submissions for its annual contest. To enter, send a poem of no more than 20 lines to the National Library of Poetry, 1 Poetry Plaza, Suite 1991, Owings Mills, MD 21117-6282 or visit their web site at www.poetry.com.

THE NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION'S THIRD ANNUAL GIFT OF LIFE 5K WALK will be held on April 20 at Assumption College. For a walk form, call 754-6082.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

FOOD NOT BOMBS, a non-violent anti-authoritarian group that collects discarded and otherwise wasted vegetarian food, then cooks and serves it for whoever wants it, plus works to raise public awareness about hunger, poverty, and waste, will hold an organizational meeting on April 17 at 6 p.m. at the Worcester Autonomy Center, 9A Portland St., Worcester. Call 753-4002 or 753-3601.

DOMESTIC-VIOLENCE HELP

NEW HOPE INC. provides 24-hour service, including emergency shelter, court advocacy for victims seeking restraining orders, safety planning, and counseling and support services and information to victims of domestic violence and their children. Call (800) 323-4673.

DONATIONS

THE LITTLE STORE, 731 Main St., Worcester, a thrift store dedicated to helping refugees who settle in Worcester, needs furniture, clothing, and household goods. Pick-up available. Call 831-7455.

GAY/LESBIAN

AIDS PROJECT WORCESTER, second floor, 85 Green St., Worcester, is offering free counseling services for sexually active gay men. Call 770-1308, ext. 32.

THE RAINBOW PROJECT, at Health Awareness Services, 405 Grove Street, Worcester, provides support and HIV prevention services for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered communities. Weekly events include Man to Man Chat, a support group for gay and bisexual men, Thurs. from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., HIV Antibody Counseling and Testing, Tues. from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday Night at the Movies, Tues. from 6 to 8 p.m., and the Rubber Posse X Supply Depot, offering free safer-sex supplies on Tues. and Thurs. from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Call 756-7123.

SUPPORTERS OF WORCESTER AREA GAY AND LESBIAN YOUTH (SWAGLY), a social and support group for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender questioning youth 22 and under to meet without fear of being exposed, judged, or labeled, meets every Wed. from 6 to 8 p.m. Call 755-0005.

HEALTH

AIDS PROJECT WORCESTER, second floor, 85 Green St., Worcester, hosts weekly support groups for men living with HIV (Tues. at 7 p.m.), gay and bisexual men living with HIV/AIDS (Tues. and Thurs. at 7 p.m.), women living with HIV (Thurs. at 2:30 p.m.), and Latino women living with HIV/AIDS (Wed. at 2 p.m.). Free. Pre-register with Felipe Rocha at 755-3773.

HEALTH AWARENESS SERVICES OF CENTRAL MASS., 405 Grove St., Worcester offers a variety of confidential family-planning services -- including contraception, counseling, lab services, and women's reproductive health care. Flexible fees. Call 753-0800 or (800) 637-5466.

UMASS EXTENSION offers home study courses on nutrition topics for adults and young children. Register by April 18. Call Bev Hustus at (413) 545-2716.

YOURS FOR CHILDREN provides support for family child care providers, offering in-home support, nutrition training, and menu planning. Call (800) 222-2731.

VOLUNTEERS

THE CAMP FIRE BOYS AND GIRLS CENTRAL N.E. COUNCIL seeks volunteers to assist with typing, word processing, mailings, and other administrative duties. Call Matt LeBarre at 753-5398.

THE CRISIS CENTER, a Massachusetts Suicide Prevention Hotline, seeks volunteers. Call 849-5600, ext. 276.

THE MASS. SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN seeks volunteers for its GoodStart Home Visiting Program (to offer support to new parents), On-Site Childcare, and Teen Parent Mentor program. Call (800) 442-3035.

SHINE seeks volunteers to assist with the counseling of elders in areas of public benefits, health-insurance options, appeals, and grievances. Call Sharon at 852-5539.

THE WALK AGAINST HOMELESSNESS will be held on May 18. Volunteers are needed for pre-walk outreach, promotion, and organization. Call Kevin at 791-7265.

THE WORCESTER CENTER FOR CRAFTS needs volunteers to distribute adult-education catalogs. Call 753-8183, ext. 5103.

THE WORCESTER REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL OF CENTRAL MASS. seeks volunteers for Earth Day clean-ups on April 26. Call 799-9139.

THE WORCESTER WOMEN'S HISTORY PROJECT seeks writers, artists, and volunteers. Call Kate at 754-1019.

YOUth-Link, a Central Mass. area teen hotline, seeks volunteers between the ages of 16 and 20. Extensive training given in dating violence, substance abuse, gang prevention, sexuality, peer, and family problems, HIV/AIDS and more. Call 849-5600, ext. 236.