Community Briefs 3/2/22

Women’s Club of Milton supports Free the Girls nonprofit

The Women’s Club of Milton Environmental Committee continued its Free the Girls project this year, taking part in this international nonprofit organization’s fight against human trafficking in El Salvador, Mozambique and Costa Rica.

With holistic reintegration programs and economic opportunity provided through the sale of donated bras, woman empower themselves to change the trajectory of their lives. The women start their own businesses by selling the bras in their local secondhand clothing markets while they recover and rebuild their lives.

Nancy Trask, WCOM project leader, delivered over 220 bras to the Maidenform Store location in Rehoboth Beach for shipment to the Free the Girls organization. The store manager was overwhelmed with the great response as she was very well-read on Free the Girls. She explained how this will change the lives of so many girls. 

Club members thank everyone who generously supported this project. To learn more, go to freethegirls.org.

Unitarian Universalists to meet March 6

The Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware will hold a service at 10 a.m., Sunday, March 6. Great Things Ahead is the theme as UUSD continues to work toward its goals, challenges and dreams.The service will be held in person with reservations required, and livestreamed. For reservation information or to access the livestreamed service, go to uussd.org.

Wellness course for grandparents to start March 7

A six-week family wellness course for grandparents, Eating Smart and Moving More, will be offered at 10 a.m., Mondays, from March 7 through April 18, at Lewes Public Library. No session will be held April 4. 

Even on a tight budget, families can help children eat healthier and be more active. Presented by the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, the program offers grandparents strategies for promoting the health of children in their lives. Topics include saving money at the grocery store, meal planning, keeping food safe, preparing tasty, healthy foods and more. Upon completion of the free course, participants will receive a certificate and a cookbook or recipe calendar.

To register, go to lewes.lib.de.us or call the library at 302-645-2733.

Women’s retreat registration due March 7

The Delaware State Columbiettes will sponsor a women’s retreat from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, March 12, at St. Edmond Catholic Church, 409 King Charles Ave., Rehoboth Beach. The topic will be Passion as Witnessed by the Women in the Company of Jesus. Continental breakfast will be available at 8:30 a.m. Mass follows the retreat at 4 p.m. Cost is $18, and attendees are to bring their own lunches. Beverages are provided.To register and reserve a space, mail a check made out to the Delaware State Columbiettes, to Arlene Brown, 87 Paige Place, Felton, DE 19943 no later than Monday, March 7. Retreat leader is Deacon Dave McDowell.

Alliance to spotlight African American sororities March 8

The Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice will present Women's History Month: Sororities, Sisterhood and Service from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 8, via Zoom.

Representatives from Sussex County chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta and Zeta Phi Beta will discuss their history, their outstanding sorority alumnae and their lifelong commitment to community service.

Founded in the early 1900s in the midst of Jim Crow, these African American pioneers dared to pursue the university experience and succeeded with scholastic excellence. Leaders emerged armed with expertise, determination, tenacity and courage. Most significantly, they established organizations that sought to influence society by involving women who would remain advocates and philanthropists dedicated to activism and service, significantly impacting the African American community and civil society itself.

For the registration link, go to sdarj.org.

Lefty’s to raise funds for Girls on the Run through March 8

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Lefty’s Alley & Eats is holding a fundraiser for Girls on the Run Delaware. For every $25 Fun Pass Card sold through Tuesday, March 8, $10 is donated to Girls on the Run Delaware. GOTR was created to inspire girls and women to be joyful, healthy and confident as they recognize their power in this world. To purchase, go to iloveleftys.com/GOTR. Fun Pass Cards can be redeemed from Wednesday, March 9, through Wednesday, Aug. 31. 

Women's Club of Milton to meet March 8

The Women's Club of Milton will hold a general membership meeting at 1 p.m., Tuesday, March 8, at Milton Public Library. All are welcome. To learn more, go to womensclubofmilton.org. 

Creative Aging Playwriting to start March 9

The Rehoboth Beach Public Library is collaborating with Delaware Division of the Arts, Lifetime Arts and Delaware Theatre Company to host an eight-week class on the fundamentals of playwriting. Creative Aging Playwriting will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesdays, beginning March 9. In this fun, supportive class, taught by Johanna Schloss from the Delaware Theatre Company, attendees will learn how to create characters and tell their stories through dialogue and action while crafting a script for a two-character play. Professional actors will bring everyone’s words to life in a reader-theater style showcase during the final class meeting.

This program is funded by the Delaware Division of the Arts as a part of its Access Creative Aging program, a community-based arts education program designed for adults 55 and older. No prior playwriting experience is required. Space is limited. To sign up, go to the events calendar at rehoboth.lib.de.us or call 302-227-8044, Ext.109.

The Rehoboth Beach Public Library is at 226 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach. To learn more, go to rehoboth.lib.de.us.

Delaware Thunderbird Club to meet March 9

The Delaware Thunderbird Club will hold a social and meeting at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 9, at Baywood Greens Clubhouse near Millsboro. The club is seeking interested Thunderbird owners who enjoy attending car shows, taking cruises and showing their cars. Those who cannot make the meeting but who are interested in joining should contact Jack Hobman at mjhobman@gmail.com or 717-468-7338.

Delaware poetry finalists event to stream March 10 

Ten Delaware high school students participated in the taped state finals for Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest that will premiere on the Delaware Division of the Arts’ YouTube channel at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 10.

The winner will represent Delaware and advance to the national semifinals to be streamed Sunday, May 1, on arts.gov. The top nine students will go to the national finals which will stream Sunday, June 5. This program is sponsored by the Delaware Division of the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation.

Delaware state finalists for 2022 are: Blessings Akanbi, Hodgson Vocational Technical School; Joelle Caternor, Smyrna High School; Robyn Goodman, Woodbridge High School; Aiden Morris, Mount Sophia Academy; Ololade Olubowale, The Tatnall School; Natalie Kim Ramos, Saint Mark’s High School; Kai Schmiedel, Delaware Valley Classical School; Ashley Schnyder, Sanford School; Kylie Short, Milford High School; and Carrie Van Hauter, Sussex Central High School.

For details, go to arts.delaware.gov.

Rehoboth Beach history lecture set March 10

The Rehoboth Beach History Lecture Series will kick off its schedule of upcoming monthly gatherings with “Lorenzo Dow Martin and his Farmhouse” at 7:15 p.m., Thursday, March 10, in the Kent/Sussex Room at the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel in Rehoboth Beach.

The fee to attend each lecture is $25, and reservations are required; call 302-521-4190. Lectures will typically run from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. and are moderated by historian Paul Lovett. 

Attendees are encouraged to begin with dinner in the beautiful Victoria’s Restaurant next to the lecture venue. Reservations should be made for 5:30 p.m. or earlier to allow time for an enjoyable meal before the presentation begins; call 302-227-0615 to reserve dinner seats.

Details about upcoming lectures will be released soon. For more information, email Lovett at paul@pdlovett.com.

Mediation training begins March 10-11 in Milford

The People’s Place Center for Community Justice will offer a four-day basic mediation training from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday, March 10 and 11, and March 17 and 18,  in the Milford Wellness Village Conference Room, 21 West Clark Ave., Milford.

The training lays the groundwork for anyone interested in becoming a mediator or enhancing their conflict resolution skills. Participants will learn how mediation compares with other forms of alternative dispute resolution and what makes a successful mediation. Attendees will learn core skills and foundational values for the role of a mediator.

Through group discussion, hands-on exercises, lecture and role play, participants will be able to engage with these and other critical questions. Attendees who complete the training will gain valuable mediation skills that can be immediately applied in personal and professional settings.

Seating is limited, so early registration is encouraged. For more information on registration and fees, contact Stacey Lawson at 302-424-0890, Ext. 5 or email slawson@peoplesplace2.com.