January 27, 2010:  10 AM - 2 PM  at 6334 Caratoke Hwy Grandy, NC !  The location is close to the small shopping center that contains Radio Shack.  The Lower Currituck Food Pantry will serve area residents that struggle to make ends meet and are in need of emergency food assistance.
 
On January19, the last monthly Food Drop at the Hardees parking lot in Grandy. 5:30 - 7:00.  The Food Drop is part of The Rural Delivery Program of the Albemarle Food Bank. The Delivery program was instituted in 1995 to provide drop-off points in six of the eastern, western, and southernmost areas once a month.

The Food Bank in Elizabeth City is a member of the national network of Food Banks called Second Harvest that accepts large food donations from processors, distributors, farmers and retail corporations. Most of these donors are from outside our service area and usually donate by the tractor-trailer load. Because producers, processors and wholesalers are generally not found in this rural area. Food Bank of the Albemarle survives largely through its affiliation with Second Harvest.

Meats and salvage product is obtained from local stores and restaurants. It is inspected for damage, infestation, etc., cleaned and re-boxed according to food type. It is then placed on the warehouse floor for agency shoppers. Similarly, we receive produce donations from generous local farmers, repackage the product into "family size" containers, and make it available for agency shoppers.
The agencies that pick up this food from our warehouse distribute it to individuals in their local areas. These agencies include emergency food pantry programs, shelters, homes for children and the elderly, non-profit day care centers, and a prescription program. The Food Banks 114 different agencies, including food pantry programs, shelters, home for children and elderly, non-profit day care centers.
In FY 2008/09, the Food Bank provided over 3,598,000 pounds of food.  We provided over 365,819 pounds in December 2009.  Support the Food Bank of the Albemarle AND your local Food Pantry.

Outer Banks Surfriders begin 2010
  Meeting times for 2010 will be on the the third Thursday of the month.  The next meeting is  January 21, at the Pit, at 6:30 pm.  The  first order of business will be continuing the "Clean Beaches=Healthy Businesses" campaign. One major concern  is the pile-up of trash after winter storms. It is up to individual Towns to do their own cleaning. 
See some great surfing photos

SMS text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts

SMS text "YELE" to 501501 to Donate $5 to Yele Haiti's Earthquake Relief efforts

SMS text "GIVE10" to 20222 to donate $10 to Direct Relief

Many Religious Organizations have set up relief programs.

Donate to a relief organization such as:
Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, UNICEF (1-800-4UNICEF), Direct Relief, Yele Haiti, Partners in Health, Red Cross, World Food Program, Mercy Corps (1-888-256-1900), Save the Children, Lambi Fund, Doctors Without Borders, The International Rescue Committee, Care, William J. Clinton Foundation, Meds & Food For Kids, Feed the Children, Habitat for Humanity, Mayor's Fund for NYC  and more.

Help find someone at the Google People Finder site.

Donate Blood.  To date, the Red Cross has sent more than 100 units of blood and blood products to Haiti and Guantanamo Bay. The American Red Cross is meeting the needs of this tragedy through current supplies.  As always, blood donors are encouraged to call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit us online at www.redcrossblood.org to make an appointment.

Helping kids to help.

1. Fundraise
Unplug Your Kids has a wonderful list of fundraising ideas that kids can participate in.

2. Learn More
The New York Times provides satellite photos from GeoEye that show Port-au-Prince before and after the Jan. 12 earthquake. It is a very cool interactive learning tool. The more knowledge, the more kids are motivated to help.

3. Make Something and Donate It

Craft Hope shares handmade goods with the less fortunate. They are collecting donated wares from crafters in the Etsy community. The Etsy store, Craft Hope for Haiti is accepting and selling handmade goods to benefit Haitian relief efforts.

If your family decides to donate money, consider discussing with your children where your money will go. They may want to help in the decision-making process. Kid's can directly relate to giving to children and animal charities.

Sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the first in a series will be held January 25th, at  First Flight High School - Media Center (library)m 4:00-6:00PM. This session will examine women's historiography from its beginnings in the 1960's, focusing on methods, materials, and difficulties in uncovering American women's past. Then to begin our series:  Native American women  British colonial women, including the witch trials, women's role in the American Revolution, and women and the Constitution will be the topics. Dr Lin Logan is leading the series. Dr. Logan is currrently Adjunct Associate Professor of History Virginia Wesleyan College. REGISTRATION is not mandatory but appreciated so that the school can be notified as to anticipated number of attendees.  Call Carole (261-6380) or Audrey (261-8052)

Editor Note: Photo above is from 18th-century American Women--a museum in a blog: Including portraits of women & a look at the artists who painted them........ (Boring assumptions, introductions, & housekeeping rules run down the left column.)

Wildlife Education Reservations
The Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education has a new online reservation system for public programs. To register for public programs:  Click on the above link.  You can select by age group or browse the calendar.  You can reserve spaces or call 252-453-0221 ex. 3 (9AM - 4PM) if you have questions or to make reservations over the phone.  Want to learn about Frog Calls? Currituck Library on Friday 22nd, 5:00, Learn how local citizens can get involved in collecting data for researchers by listening for frogs. This workshop will begin with a lecture class followed by an optional field session. The data collected will be recorded into North Carolina's Calling Amphibian Survey Program (CASP).   See if you recognize one your green friends.