First Trinity to hold giveaway
The First Trinity CityServe Gift Ministry Giveaway will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 31 at First Trinity Church of God in Christ, 800 S. Catalpa St. The gifts will be available on a first-come first-serve basis, according to a news release.
The items include home decor, small kitchen appliances, clothes for women, men and children; lawn equipment and health care products. Details: (870) 534-2873.
Ivy Center changes event site
The Ivy Center for Education has changed the location of one of its meetings. On Sept. 27, from 6-7 p.m., the center will host the Jefferson County Teen and Young Adult Reproductive Educative Access and Life-Style Program in person at the Pine Bluff Library, 600 S. Main St., and online on Zoom. The facilitator will be Laurell Hall. For in person events, masks are required. For Zoom log in, email mattie1908@gmail.com. For other upcoming Ivy Center sessions, see the Calendar of Events in The Commercial or follow the Ivy Center on social media.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Generator open to home-schoolers
The Generator, 435 S. Main St., is now a hosting hub for home-schooled students, grades 5 through 12.
A program of Go Forward Pine Bluff, The Generator is offering the space free for learning, EAST/project-based learning, and physical activities, according to a news release.
“The Generator will serve as a place where home schooled students can learn and play freely,” said Lauren Lawson, Go Forward’s public relations coordinator. “Parents don’t have to spend a lot of money to have an educational and inspiring school experience for their children.”
The proportion of American families home-schooling at least one child grew from 5.4% in spring 2020 to 11.1% in fall 2021, according to a U.S. Census Bureau analysis.
“During the covid-19 pandemic, the number of parents who chose to home-school their kids grew considerably due to the upheavals that schools and families have endured over the past two years,” according to the release.
For details or to sign up, interested participants may call (870) 663-0200.
Grant to promote cancer screenings
The Arkansas Cancer Coalition awarded Mainline Health Systems Inc. a $55,000 grant that will be used to remind Southeast Arkansas patients about critical screenings that can lead to early detection and more successful treatment of some types of cancers.
The program targets more than 7,700 patients in Bradley, Chicot, Cleveland, Ashley, Lincoln, and Drew counties. Text messages will notify patients of the recommended screenings and inform them how to schedule appointments, according to a news release.
The system will contact:
• Approximately 2,436 women between ages 23 and 64, who have not had a hysterectomy, and are due for cervical cancer screening.
• Approximately 1,683 women between ages 50 and 69 who are due for annual breast cancer screening.
• Approximately 3,621 men and women between ages 50 and 75 who have not had colon cancer screening.
Details: https://mainlinehealth.net/about-us/ or www.arcancercoalition.org or (501) 404-2363.