Community Events

Lenten service schedule. The community-wide theme for Lenten Services will be called "The Lenten Road." All services for this cooperative Bellmore/Merrick observance will start at 7:30 p.m. at the following churches: Wednesday, March 10, "The Road to Home" will be held at the United Methodist Church in Bellmore at 2640 Royle St.; Wednesday, March 17, "The Road to Jerusalem" will be held at the Community Presbyterian Church at 2101 William Place in Merrick; Wednesday, March 24, "The Road to Jericho" will be held in Bellmore's Presbyterian Church between Bellmore and Martin avenues; Wednesday, March 31, "The Bethany Road" at the United Methodist Church in Merrick at 1425 Merrick Ave.; Good Friday Service will be held on April 9, at the Community Presbyterian Church at 2101 William Place in Merrick.

Cyber seniors. The Bellmore Public School District will begin registration for its Cyper Seniors program. The sessions will teach seniors how to effectively use today's computer programs as well as the Internet. Skill level classes, ranging from beginner to advanced, will be held on Thursday afternoons from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. starting March 25 and concluding on April 29. A second session will be held on May 6 to June 3. To register, contact the the Shore Road Intermediate Center at (516) 679-2950/51.

Budget meetings. The Bellmore School District will have a public presentation and vote on the district's budget on Tuesday, May 18. There is also a scheduled public meeting, before the budget's vote, on Tuesday, May 4, at 8 p.m. at the Shore Road School. All are invited to attend.

Business meetings. The Bellmore Chapter of Business Network International meets every Tuesday at the East Bay Diner from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Visitors are welcome. For more information, call Bruce Katz at (516)826-5310.

AARP. The Bellmore-Merrick Chapter of AARP, the only Nassau County chapter that meets at night, holds its meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Mepham High School cafeteria on Camp Avenue, one block west of Newbridge Road, Bellmore. Entertainment and refreshments available. Seniors from all over Nassau County are welcome. For more information, call (516) 785-3337, or 826-7410.

Calling volunteers. The A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility is looking for volunteers for a few hours each week to benefit the patients, residents and visitors. A Holly Patterson is a 889-bed skilled nursing facility in Uniondale. Volunteer positions available include meal monitoring, transporting residents, assisting in recreational activities, office support services and friendly visitation to patients and residents. Call (516) 572-1496 if interested.

VITA volunteers needed. The Town of Hempstead is looking for volunteers for its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. The program is sponsored by the town's Department of Enrichment and the Internal Revenue Service. Volunteers are trained and then assigned to local libraries and town senior centers to assist seniors in the preparation of their federal and state income tax returns. Anyone interested in volunteering should call (516) 485-8100, ext. 273.

Weekly bingo games. Make your New Year's resolution to meet new friends. Join the Levittown Senior Center at the Yours Ours Mine CommunityCenter, 152 Center Lane, for bingo on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. A nutritious lunch is served daily at 12 p.m. For more information call (516) 796-6633, ext. 249.

Bellmore Library

Bellmore senior club. Members of Bellmore's senior community are welcomed to attend the Bellmore Library Senior Club. The club meets every Monday at 1 p.m. for arts and crafts, films, parties, guest speakers and more. Call (516) 785-2990.

Internet lessons. The Bellmore Memorial Library is to host a hands-on introduction to the Internet with a librarian on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon. There is a limit of two sessions per person. Sign up at the library's reference desk.

Tax assistance. Volunteers from the tax-aide program sponsored by the AARP will be on hand on Fridays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Saturdays, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., volunteers from the Hofstra University Tax Society will help people of all ages with simple tax returns.

Digital doctor. Stuart Gershon, "The Digital Doctor", will be on hand to demonstrate techniques to enhance your digital images on Tuesday, Mar. 23 at 7 p.m. Anyone interested should sign at the library's front desk.

Forever England. Meet British War Bride, Sylvia Liebling on Saturday, Mar. 27 at 2 p.m. as she shares in story and song: her experiences with British royalty, her evacuation from London and her romance and marriage to a young heroic American Airman. The community is welcomed to attend.

N.Bellmore Library

AARP 55-Alive. Registration for the AARP 55 - Alive driving courses is ongoing. Please register at the library's reference desk and bring a check for $10 made payable to AARP.

SAT review class. High-school students can brush up on their math and verbal skills in preparation for the upcoming SAT exam. Classes will be held on Thursday evenings, March 18, 25, April 1, 15, 22, and 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There is a fee of $60 for the review course, which also covers materials. Students interested in the course can register at the reference desk and make checks payable to Richard Gale. Registration began on Monday, Jan. 5.

Book buddies. The Children's Services and Young Adult Departments are proud to again co-sponsor Book Buddies. Young adults ages 11 and up can share their favorite books with a buddy ages four to eight year old on Fridays, Mar. 19th, 26th, and April 2nd, from 4 to 4:30 p.m. Community Service credit will be given at the last session. Please register at the Reference desk as soon as possible.

Support Groups

Education and support. groups for men with prostate cancer are being announced by Nassau University Medical Center. Meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month. Call (516) 572-4912.

Substance help. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings held Thursdays and Alanon meetings held Sundays at St. Barnabas Church in Bellmore. Meetings at 7:30 p.m.

Help for mothers. The Sunrise Mothers Center provides validation, support skills and knowledge for women and their families. The center is run by members and offers peer support in discussion groups, lectures, workshops, mommy and me classes and fun social activities. For more information call (516) 781-8946 or contact the center on line at sunrisemothers@excite.com.

Infertility group. The National Infertility Network Exchange is now forming peer-led support groups. Topics include coping with infertility, medical procedures, male infertility, in-vitro fertilization, miscarriage, secondary infertility, adoption and a child-free lifestyle. Call (516) 794-5772.

Seeking new volunteers. The Long Island Crisis Center (LICC), the oldest crisis intervention hotline on Long Island, is now looking for volunteers for its upcoming February Volunteer Counselor Training program. Training is free and takes place over three evenings. The center's next training sessions will be held on the Tuesdays, Feb. 3, 10, and 17. Training is held in L.I.C.C.'s offices located in Bellmore. Once a counselor assistant, a volunteer may choose to attend an extensive training in crisis intervention counseling and acquire valuable life skills. Counseling is available 24/7 via phone, walk-in and the Internet. Fore more information call (516) 826-0244 for a brochure.