Around Town (8/21/2015)

Church event to focus on Syrian conflict

The Creekside Church of Merced will host an event about a persecuted church in Syria. The speakers will be the Rev. Nerses Balabanian and his wife Sevan, who grew up and have served in Syria and Lebanon. They will speak about their recent visit to the Middle East and share stories of persecution from the Islamic State and the conflict in Syria. The event is at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Creekside Evangelical Free Church, 2876 G St. in Merced. The event is free and open to the public.

AARP Merced’s monthly meeting

The AARP Merced monthly meeting will from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Aug. 26 at the Merced Senior Community Center, 755 West 15th St. in Merced. Lunch will be served after the meeting, though the cost has been raised to $5. The meeting is open to the public.

Harvest of Hope charitable dinner

Catholic Charities Merced will host its first Harvest of Hope event Aug. 28 at St. Patrick’s Parish, 671 E. Yosemite Ave. in Merced. No-host cocktails at 6 p.m. followed by a barbecue dinner at 7 p.m. The event will raise funds to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and other causes. Organizers are seeking sponsors. Individual tickets are $75 apiece. For more information or to buy tickets, call 209-386-3718.

First Tee Junior Golf in Merced

Registration is underway for the fall First Tee Junior Golf in Merced. The program is open to children ages 5 to 17. Practices are held Wednesdays at 5:45 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. at the Merced Golf and Country Club, 6333 Golf Road in Merced. The nine-week program runs Sept. 2 through Oct. 28. The cost is $90 for the first child and $45 for each additional child. Registration packets and program information can be found at thefirstteecentralvalley.org For more information, email golph2day@gmail.com or call 209-604-4120.

Last Hope Cat Kingdom volunteer orientation

Last Hope Cat Kingdom will host a volunteer orientation and training session at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29 at 6660 Bailey Road in Atwater. Volunteers for Last Hope must attend one of these sessions once a year for most types of volunteer activities. For more information, call 209-261-5907 or email eb29of41@yahoo.com.

Storytime at Barnes & Noble Merced

Barnes & Noble will host a Storytime for Kids event at 11 a.m. Sept. 5 at its Merced location, 1720 W. Olive Ave. Children can hear the story, “The Full Moon at the Napping House,” by Audrey and Don Wood. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 209-386-0571.

Help out cancer group

The American Cancer Society is seeking volunteers for its Road to Recovery program, in which volunteers drive cancer patients to treatments. Volunteers can arrange their own schedules. Volunteers with a reliable car, a current driver’s license and insurance are desired. For more information, call 800-227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.

Helping animals

New Beginnings of Merced needs volunteers to foster kittens, dogs or puppies, and help with photographing shelter animals and transporting animals to rescue organizations. Call 209-769-2122. The group also needs crate carriers for animals 30 pounds and under. Receipts can be provided for tax purposes. Atwater residents can call 209-658-8553 and Merced residents can call 209-769-8953.

This story was originally published August 20, 2015 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Around Town (8/21/2015)."