Community breakfast

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Gilbert, will hold a community breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday.

Effort pantry

The Supplemental Food Resource Center at Effort UMC will be open from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday. A valid driver’s license or state ID with address proving residency in the West End is required to make use of this pantry for help that is limited to a 12-week lifetime duration per family.

Anyone with questions or concerns please direct them to the SFRC Director Henry McCormick, through the church office at 570-629-1890, ext. 109.

Shawl ministry

Our Lady Queen of Peace’s Prayer Shawl Ministry meets from 10 a.m. to noon in the Teen Room the second Saturday of each month. All are welcome.

At the 4 p.m. Mass on Saturday there will be a Blessing of the Throats.

Comedy Nite

A Cabin Fever Comedy Nite is being held at the American Legion Post Home in Gilbert on Saturday, beginning at 5 p.m. It begins with dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. and features three comedians from 7 to 10 p.m., followed by dancing from 10 to 11 p.m.

Attendees must be 21 and over and only 150 tickets are available.

For more information, including costs and ticket availability contact Everett.shaver@yahoo.com.

Special request

Salem UCC is asking its church family to bring a Valentine for Sunday’s worship service, which is at 10 a.m. The council will meet during the social hour.

Neighbors theme

Salem-St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kresgeville Sunday school will again take place during the 10:30 a.m. worship service. The theme of Who is My Neighbor continues.

Both Sunday school students and adults are asked to help the monthly project of helping neighbors. The focus for February is doing a food collection for the Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network. The offering received in Sunday school will be given to the PVEN as well.

After Sunday school, the students have a special outing and have a fun activity.

Riders meet

The Riders will have a monthly meeting at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Legion Post Home in Gilbert. For more information, contact Everett Shaver at everett.shaver@yahoo.com.

Auxiliary meets

The American Legion Auxiliary of the Gilbert post is also on the calendar for meeting on Valentine’s Day. That meeting is slated to begin at 6 p.m.

Anniversary Mass

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Gilbert, will celebrate an Anniversary Mass for all married couples of the parish with a special Vow Renewal Ceremony for those married 25, 50 or more years at the 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday.

Parish couples celebrating those anniversaries are asked to call the church office or email the church at churchoffice@qopchurch.org.

Potluck dinner

St. Peter’s UMC, Saylorsburg, will host a carry-in dinner (potluck) at 5 p.m. Sunday.

District Legion

American Legion District 30 will meet Sunday, beginning at 2:30 p.m. at the Post 927 Legion home in Gilbert.

It is open to all members. A light lunch will be provided.

For more information contact Tom Franklin, Post 927 Commander at 570-977-1248.

UMW meets

Effort United Methodist Church’s UMW will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at the church. The program will be a business meeting. Devotions will be provided by Alma Middletown. The hostesses for the evening will be Alma Middleton and Lucy Boomer.

All Sports Club

The Pleasant Valley School District All Sport’s Club will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in the high school library.

Local leader

Pat Sayler of Effort is now the Chair of United Way of Monroe County’s Community Investment Committee. The committee makes recommendations to the United Way of Monroe County board of directors on how to invest campaign revenue back into the community through community programs proposed by partner agencies, explains Michael Albert, president and CEO.

Knit & Crochet

Zion Lutheran’s Knit & Crochet group will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the church’s Fellowship Hall in Brodheadsville.

Korea vets

A Korean War Veterans meeting will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Legion Post 927 home in Gilbert.

For more information, contact Tom Franklin, Post 927 Commander at 570-977-1248.

Fire company

The West End Fire Company was busy during the month of January. The volunteers responded to 51 incidents, an increase of two over last year.

They include 10 structure fires, 14 fire alarms and 12 car accidents, Chief Don Zipp said.

In addition, the members completed six hours of Hazardous Materials Annual Training and 4.5 Hours of Blood Borne Pathogens Training.

Touch of Home

The next meeting of Operation: Touch of Home is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the American Legion Post 927 home in Gilbert.

PVM meeting

The Pleasant Valley Middle School PAC/PTO meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the school next Wednesday.

Valentine’s dinner

A Valentine’s Day Dinner for Two, with reservations required, is being held at the American Legion Post Home in Gilbert on Valentine’s Day. It begins at 5 p.m.

For costs of the dinner and the menu, contact Pat Froncek at 570-992-5547.

The dinner will also be offered for the next three nights.

Ash Wednesday

Next Wednesday is both Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day. Area churches will celebrate Ash Wednesday in different days.

• Effort UMC will be holding a Bible study with a light meal each Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., with a Lenten service to follow in the sanctuary at 7 p.m. The Bible study will be Max Lucado’s most recent study on the letter to the Philippians, called “Anxious for Nothing: Chaotic World.”

• Effort UMC will have as its theme for the six weeks of Lent, The Biblical Basis of Our Doctrinal Standards, with the topic on Ash Wednesday being “We believe in the Triune God” based on 2 Corinthians 13:5-13.

• Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Gilbert will have Mass and Distribution of Ashes at 12:10, 4, and 7 p.m.

• St. Matthew’s UCC in Kunkletown will have soup at 6 p.m. and a 7 p.m. worship service to begin the Lenten season.

• St. Peter’s UMC in Saylorsburg will have a 7 p.m. worship service with palm ashes on Ash Wednesday. The church’s regular Sunday schedule includes a 10 a.m. worship service followed by social hour with coffee, tea or cocoa and snacks. There is a weekly Bible study Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

• Salem-St. Paul’s Lutheran in Kresgeville will hold a noon service an Ash Wednesday as well as a 7 p.m. service with the Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion.

• And on Mondays, at 11 a.m. the Rev. John Harding will lead a Lenten series on: People of the Way.

• Zion Lutheran in Brodheadsville will again have its Ashes-to-Go available from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., weather permitting. The evening worship service will be at 7:30 p.m.

Contact Adele Argot at 717-933-4028 or arargot3@verizon.net. Contact the Times News at 800-443-0377 or tneditor@tnonline.com.

Lions to meet

The Western Pocono Lions Club will hold its February dinner and board meeting on Feb. 15 at Cherry’s on Route 209 in Kresgeville.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. and the members can begin to order off the menu at 6:30 p.m. The club plans to begin the dinner meeting at 7 p.m. A reminder from the officers is that all members are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items to the meeting to be given to the PVEN food pantry, or simply Feed the Purple Pig at the dinner meeting.

The club will once again be part of The Night of Unity at Pleasant Valley High School on Feb. 27. The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m.

Contact Adele Argot at 717-933-4028 or arargot3@verizon.net. Contact the Times News at 800-443-0377 or tneditor@tnonline.com.