For those who called about donating formerly loved bikes in need of repairs to people in need, please consider Bob’s Bikes of Hudson, a program run by Hudson Rotary.Brad Nelson, who is in charge of the mission, reminded me the program is named for Bob Obendorf, who started out doing the repairs on his own.His son, Chuck Obendorf of Stow, offered $1,000 to the Hudson Rotary Club to keep the repairs going. Once the bikes are healed, they are given to Cuyahoga Falls Good Neighbors.For information, please call Nelson at 330-715-6471. South Street Ministries of Akron has a similar campaign. Please call Eric Harmon at 330-801-0249 or Don Heffner at 330-724-6544. Help for the homeless Big, beautiful bouquets to Matt Davis, director of community aquatics for the Hudson City School District and head swim coach of Hudson High School, and the swimming and diving team, who packaged more than 500 personal hygiene kits for homeless veterans in Northeast Ohio.“The swimmers and divers, with community businesses, helped to collect these items to make this such a success,” Davis noted. “Last year we put together between 150 to 200 kits. This year we really wanted to do more and it was great to see everyone involved.”Crafts in Wadsworth The Wadsworth Newcomers Club is sponsoring the 37th annual Carrousel of Crafts, featuring more than 100 crafters as well as food and entertainment, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Wadsworth Middle School, 150 Silver Creek Road, Wadsworth. Last year’s effort netted more than $8,000 for various community and county charities. Admission is $3, ages 12 and over; $2, ages 65 and over.The club “provides opportunities for Wadsworth women — newcomers as well as established Wadsworth residents — and their families to meet new friends, to get acquainted with Wadsworth and other surrounding communities and to become involved in social and civic activities,” said spokeswoman Laurel Keller.For information about Carrousel of Crafts, please call 330-730-4273 or visit www.carrouselofcrafts.com. For information about the club, please visit www.
wadsworthnewcomersclub.org. Toy collection kicks off Panther Expedited Services in Seville is busy being a good neighbor with its third Drive to Fill the Truck to raise funds and gather unwrapped toys in support of the Toys for Tots charity. The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve program has provided toys and gifts to needy children since 1947. The big collection adventure will be kicked off today with Panther President and Chief Executive Andrew Clarke and owner-operator Lyn Brumfield traveling the nation transporting freight for Panther’s customers.Panther, at 4940 Panther Parkway, also will be the official drop site for Toys for Tots through Dec. 16. Each donation will be honored with free popcorn, coffee, hot chocolate and cookies.Grateful mother Fairlawn’s Gretchen Kennedy is grateful beyond words for the kindness extended to her on Nov. 12. She explained:“I was driving along Route 585 with my two daughters, both of whom have disabilities. Somewhere just past Doylestown, my daughter Maria began to have a grand mal seizure. I pulled to the side of the road as she was turning blue. I flagged a motorist down as I was getting out of my vehicle to get to Maria’s side and to get out of our van to lay her flat in the grass at the side of the road.“This kind lady stopped and took the cell phone from my other daughter, who had called 911 and told the dispatcher where we were located. The dispatcher was very patient with my daughter, keeping her on the line.“As I rushed to try to open Maria’s airway, two other motorists stopped, one giving us a blanket for Maria’s head and the other covering her with a sweatshirt.”About this time, medics driving an ambulance stopped and began getting Maria’s vitals, Kennedy said.“By the time the 911 paramedics arrived, Maria’s seizures had stopped and she was breathing comfortably,” Kennedy said. “I turned to thank the ladies who had stopped to help and they had left the scene. I still have the blanket and the sweatshirt they gave us. The medics from the private ambulance company were so kind and professional, and the 911 paramedics were also reassuring and concerned. I know God placed them all on that road that day, and I hope they somehow know how much it meant to just have caring people there when I was so scared.”Maria, 24, weighs 78 pounds and has autism, a seizure disorder and developmental delays. “She is truly a joy and has a special place in the hearts of all who know her! Our other daughter who was in the car with us, is a teenager who is also developmentally delayed and is hearing impaired and has spina bifida. She did great calling 911 when I asked her, but would have had a hard time giving the dispatcher much details if not for the lady who stopped to help us.“Thanks for helping us. Thank those special people who cared enough to offer their help.”Make holidays brighter Summit County Children Services is asking residents to help make Christmas meaningful for the children in the agency’s care. (Tax dollars cannot be used for this.)You can do so in the following ways: • Donate unwrapped toys and gifts to the Holiday Toy Room, where foster parents, kinship caregivers and client families shop for toys and gifts for children in their care. Gloves and mittens are needed, or consider donating money to purchase these items. Deadline to drop off donations is Dec. 16 at the agency, 264 S. Arlington St., Akron. Last year, more than 1,100 children received gifts through this program. • Adopt a family. Agency social workers recommend families and donors purchase, wrap and deliver the gifts to the agency. Deadline is Dec. 16. Nearly 175 received gifts last year through this effort.• Food Gift Card Program. Gift cards to local grocery stores like Save-A-Lot and Aldi can be purchased. More than 50 families received grocery store gift cards last year.World HIV/AIDS Day Stagelights Hair Studio at 3732 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton, is opening its doors from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday with discounted beauty services — haircuts, manicures with polish change and more — for $10 to benefit the Red Ribbon Connection, which has been working to eliminate HIV in Stark County since 2000. Appointments appreciated but walk-ins welcome. Please call 330-493-5000. This campaign is held in conjunction with World HIV/AIDS Day, which is Thursday. Kent State University Stark campus is also holding events, including speakers, information tables, a red party and panels for the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Keynote speaker will be Rive r Hudson, author, artist and educator, at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the main hall auditorium. More information can be found on Facebook: Kent Stark World AIDS Day.Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or emailed at jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.