<b>Stork’s Nest is holding free baby shower drives</b><b> </b>

Stork’s Nest, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. is holding a free event called “Pregnant Pause: Brunch and Learn.” If you are expecting a baby, then you’re invited to a special celebration and annual baby shower donation drive from 10 a.m. to noon at the following locations:

• Saturday, April 19: Wesley United Methodist, 810 Duke Street, Beaufort.

There will be food, door prizes and a lot of information. For details, please call 843-263-4664.

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<b>Exchange Club hosts </b><b>‘One Nation Under God’</b>

This year marks the 50th anniversary that the words “under God” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance. On Tuesday, April 22, the Exchange Club will host a One Nation Under God dinner event at the Quality Inn on Boundary Street.  The keynote speaker will be Judge Beau Patterson. Also in attendance will be Rabbi Tzipi Radonsky, Rev. Dr. John C. Dortch, Bishop Alden Hathaway and Father Paul MacNeill. The event will also feature live patriotic music and dinner.  This event is open to the public and organizations are encouraged to set up information tables. All of us coming together for one night to celebrate our similarities is the purpose of this event. The cost is $15. For reservations or more information, call Angel Flewelling at 525-0102.

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<b>Sea Island Quilters will meet at Praise Assembly </b>

The Sea Island Quilters will meet on Thursday, April 24, 6 p.m. at Praise Assembly, 800 Parris Island Gateway. The meeting will focus on “Ugly Fabrics.” For details, contact Diana DeWitt, 379-3353.

<b>Fripp Audubon holding bird behavioral program </b>

Fripp Audubon, in partnership with Naturally Fripp Community Wildlife Habitat, presents avian behavioral detectives Ed and Cindy Boos with their fascinating photographic observations and expert insights into rarely seen aspects of bird lifecycles with “Avian Courtship, Mating and Nesting.” The program will be held Thursday, April 24, at Fripp Island Community Centre. Meet ‘n’ greet starts at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m. This is a free presentation, and a free pass is available at the Fripp gate. Contact pete.richards@comcast.net or 843-441-2153 and visit www.islc.net/audubon.

<b>Parris Island Officers’ Spouses’ Club has event </b>

Friday, April 25 at 5:30 p.m., Parris Island Officers’ Spouses’ Club 3rd Annual Silent and Live Auction will be held. All proceeds will be used to benefit the local military community. The public is invited for an evening of hors d’oeuvres, a silent and live auction and a raffle at Traditions Restaurant on Parris Island.  Tickets will be $10 at the door; advanced ticket purchases include five free raffle tickets and are available online at http://parrisislandosc.com/2014-silent-and-live-auction. The Traditions bar will also be open for those who wish to purchase cocktails.  For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/PIOSCAuction.

<b>Local AAUW branch to meet, welcome speaker</b>

The Beaufort Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will meet on Tuesday, April 22, at 6 p.m. in Building 23 on the TCL campus. The guest speaker will be Arlene Hull, Director or Alzheimer’s Family.  We urge all members to attend and bring a friend. We also invite new members to join our group, which works to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. For details, contact Dr. Diana Steele at 522-2796 or steele.diana@comcast.net.

<b>Spring Book Sale will be at Beaufort library </b>

The Friends of the Beaufort Library: Beaufort, Lobeco and St. Helena Branches (FOL) will hold its annual Spring Book Sale from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 26. The Spring Book Sale will be held at the downtown Beaufort Branch Library located at 311 Scott Street in Beaufort. The sale will include thousands of books, CDs, DVDs, audio books and more. All hardback books are $2 unless marked otherwise with regular paperbacks priced at $.50 and trade paperbacks at $1.50 each. The library bookstore will also be open and offer its current inventory at the same prices. To become a member of FOL contact Lee Martin at 843-838-7438 or to volunteer contact Lynn Kittson at 843-379-7040.

<b>Lowcountry Ladies have luncheon, fashion show </b>

The Lowcountry Ladies of SC will present its annual Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show, Saturday, April 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Holiday Inn Beaufort.The organization awards a scholarship to a graduating senior from  Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton and Colleton counties. For ticket information, contact any member of the group. They are: Esther Black, Marcella Brown, Ethel Denmark Cheryl Dopson, Gloria Duncan, Ervena Faulkner, Paula Gant, Gloria Gleason, Eleanor Hazel, Rosalind Hollis, Betty Irby, Marie Lewis, Etta Mann, Vermelle Matthews, Veronica Miller, Celia Price, Jessie Tyler, Thomasina, Tyler, Sandra Walker and Barbara Washington. For more information, contact Veronica Miller at 838-4575.

<b>Get ready for annual Relay for Life event</b>

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event will be held Saturday, April 26 at Beaufort High School from noon to midnight and will be packed full of things to do. There will be a Kidswalk this year as well, for the first time in the Beaufort area.  DJ Wes will be there to help with the entertainment. There is still time to register a team and the Kidswalk has their own team sign up. Please visit www.relayforlife.org and place the 29902 zip code in to be taken directly to the Beaufort event page.

<b>Church to celebrate National Day of Prayer </b>

National Day of Prayer will be celebrated at Riverview Baptist Church, 2209 Boundary Street, Beaufort, SC, on May 1, from noon to 1 p.m. For more information, contact Pat Claxton at 379-9084 or Rev. Leon Meadows at 524-8335.

<b>Gospel Brunch supports local March of Dimes </b>

The XI Gamma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. will be sponsoring a March of Dimes: March for Babies Gospel Brunch. The 2014 theme is “Setting a Spiritual Sail for Stronger &amp; Healthier Babies.” The event will be Saturday, May 3, at 11:30 a.m. at the Jasmine Room at the Quality Inn at Beaufort Town Center, 2001 Boundary Street, Beaufort. Donation is $30. All proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to support the March of Dimes’ March for Babies mission. Send an email request for tickets to scotta1@hargray.com  or greeklife@lowcountry.com or for more information, call 843-812-6111. The March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies.

<b>Helena House offers many support services</b>

• Those grieving a death of a loved one or experiencing any major change in their lives are encouraged to attend a grief support group beginning Thursday, April 17, from 3-4 p.m. at Helena Place Senior Living in Port Royal. Karen Kouzmanoff, the bereavement care coordinator at United Hospice, will lead the group.  The sessions are free and open to the public. Helena Place is located at 1624 Paris Avenue in Port Royal. Space is limited. Please RSVP by calling 843-522-0476 or by e-mail at kkouzmanoff@uhs-pruitt.com.

• As a person ages, it is important they discuss their needs and desires with their loved ones. To help with this difficult process, “Five Wishes” will be presented on Thursday, April 24. The two interactive group discussions, both led by Jennifer Redmond Strawn of United Hospice, will help individuals address their medical, personal, emotional and spiritual needs if they become seriously ill. During the sessions, each individual will be able to create a simple document to convey what kind of treatment they want or don’t want so their families aren’t left to guess. Also presenting will be Daniel Bennett of Lowcountry Cremation, who will discuss affordable options for burial, cremation, Social Security benefits and life insurance loopholes. Both sessions are free and open to anyone over the age of 18. The 10:30 a.m. – noon session will be held at Burton Wells Senior Center, located at 1 Middleton Recreation Dr., in Burton. The 1:30-3 p.m. session will be held at Helena Place Senior Living at 1624 Paris Ave., in Port Royal. To register for either session, e-mail jrstrawn@uhs-pruitt.com or call 843-252-2920.

• Are you grieving a loss? Help can be found by attending, “Finding Healing Through the Grieving Process,” a free workshop from 1:30-3 p.m. on Friday, May 2, at Helena House Assisted Living in Port Royal. An interactive group session will be presented by Alan Poe, who has been a hospice chaplain for eight years and has more than 35 years of experience as a relationship counselor. The sessions are free and open to the public. Helena House is located at 1624 Paris Avenue in Port Royal. Please RSVP by calling 843-592-2356 or by e-mail at rewing@enlivant.com.

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<b>Church workshops promote ‘coming home’</b>

The old adage, “There’s no place like home” can mean even more when we consider our relationship with God.  If you have been away from the Catholic Church or are newly returned to the practice of your faith, St. Peter’s, 70 Lady Island Drive, welcomes you May 3 through June 7 for six consecutive Saturdays, 10 to 11:30 a.m. for presentations, discussions and questions and answers designed to help our brothers and sisters come home. For more info, please contact Deborah Richard at 575-3742, deborahm@catholic.org.

<b>Volunteers can help build local oyster reefs</b>

• South Carolina Department of Natural Resource’s SCORE program is holding local opportunities to volunteer to build oyster reef. The events will be Saturday, April 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Section 5 of the Spanish Moss Trail, Beaufort. And also Saturday, April 26, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Brickyard Landing, Lady’s Island. As always, participants must wear closed-toed shoes and clothes you do not mind getting a little dirty. They will provide gloves, sunscreen, bug spray, and water, but volunteers can be eco-friendly and bring a refillable bottle. To join any of these events, please RSVP by email at score@dnr.gov.

• Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), SC’s Topwater Action Campaign and SCDNR’s SCORE program need help with the Beaufort County Oyster Reef Habitat Build on Thursday, May 15, from 2 to 5 p.m. They will depart from Whitehall Landing on Lady’s Island. The build and restoration part of the SCORE program works with local citizen groups to conduct actual habitat restoration projects and to monitor the success of those efforts. Projects involved building new reefs with recycled shells for recruitment of oyster larvae. As these pilot reefs begin to recruit new oysters and attract other critters of the estuary, they are being used as living classrooms and research platforms. Volunteer citizens are critical to monitoring the new reefs throughout the year to increase our understanding of how best to restore oyster habitats. To volunteer or for more information, contact CCA SC by calling 803-865-4164 or email hsmith@ccasouthcarolina.com.
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