Gluten-free eating

LEWISTON – The Living Gluten-Free Support Group will host “Snack Night
Out: An Evening of Gluten-Free Snacks and Treats,” at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 21, at the St. Mary’s Nutrition Center, 208 Bates
Street.

With different gluten-free food options becoming more available each
day there sometimes seems like a never ending list of new foods to try.
An array of different and new gluten-free snacks and treats will be
provided to sample. Attendees may bring a favorite gluten-free snack to
share. There will be a suggested donation of $5 to participate.

For more information, call 513-3847 or e-mail sblumenthal@stmarysmaine.com.

Chapter meeting

FREEPORT — The Construction Financial Management Association Chapter
meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at the Hilton Garden Inn. A
social hour will begin at 5 p.m. The speaker will be Mary Jeanne
Anderson, vice president of bonding for The Hanover Insurance Group
Inc. The dinner fee for nonmembers is $30. To register for the meeting,
contact Joe Wagnis at jwagnis@wright-ryan.com.

Dance

AUBURN — The Capt. Frank W. Hulett VFW Post 1603, 588 Minot Ave., will
have a free dance on from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22. For more
information, call the post home at 783-2561 or Commander Davis at
329-8784.

Toy donations

BRUNSWICK – Customers and employees of Downeast Energy and Building
Supply donated 453 toys to Sweetser for their annual toy drive.

“We are grateful to Downeast Energy, along with their employees and
customers for supporting Sweetser’s annual toy drive, said Todd Henry,
director of development at Sweetser. “This year, more children and
families have greater needs than ever before. The response from caring
people and others businesses has been heartwarming.”

Toy collection boxes were located in Downeast Energy offices in
southern and central Maine including Brunswick, Kennebunk, Lisbon
Falls, York, Waterville, Hallowell, Mt. Vernon, South Portland,
Windham, Biddeford, Yarmouth and Springvale.

Grant awarded

LEWISTON – The L/A Children’s Fund has awarded New Beginnings, an agency
that works with homeless and at-risk youth ages 12 to 21, a $3,500 grant
to continue providing mediation services in the community.

The agency
began offering family and peer mediation in the spring of 2000 in order
to improve outcomes for the youth and families they work with in
regards to successful re-unification and ongoing stability. Initially,
the project was funded by an Alfond Challenge grant and has received
support from the Maine Community Foundation for staff training and
consultation.

New Beginnings serves 500 to 600 youth a year in its
emergency shelter, transitional living and outreach programs.