Manna Food Bank is now at Bethel United Methodist Church. To reserve a food box, call (828)634-1116 and leave a message with the following information: your first name and last initial; phone number to confirm pick-up time; number of people in your family; if there are allergies in the family; and any specialty items you might need, like diapers, etc. Pick up is at Bethel UMC, 81 Bethel Church Road, off Highlands Road.

American Red Cross Blood Drives will be held in Franklin on Aug. 11, 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., at First Baptist Church, 69 Iotla Street: on Aug. 13  10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Discover Church, 47 Macon Center Dr.; in  Highlands on  Aug. 19, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Highlands School, 545 Pierson Dr.; on Aug. 29, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Highlands United Methodist Church, 315 Main St.; on Aug. 29, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. , at Community Bible Church, 3645 Cashiers Rd. All who come to give this month will be entered to win gas for a year and will also receive a $10 e-gift card to a merchant of choice. Details are available at rcblood.org/fuel.

Macon Aero Modelers Open House will be held on Saturday, Aug. 13, 9 a.m., 516 Tessentee Rd., Otto. Take lessons on a flight simulator and may fly actual radio control model airplanes, at no charge. Excellent experience for young people in an effort to find a career. For more information, call Gary Sorenson (828)508-4201.

Music at “The Frog” will be held on Saturday, Aug. 13, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Friends of the Greenway/ FROG Quarters, 573  E. Main St., Franklin.

Joseph Carrol and Alvarado (Alva) Allen Gibson Annual Reunion and Potluck Lunch will be held on Sunday, Aug. 14, at Cowee Valley Volunteer Fire and Rescue Station,1309 Ruby Mine Rd,. in Franklin.  Music by the Vagabonds will begin at 12:30 p.m.

Death Cafe will be held on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2 to 4 p.m., at Wayfarers Unity Chapel, 182 Wayfarer Lane, Dillard, Ga.   This casual gathering aims to “increase awareness of death while helping people make the most of their finite lives.” Drink tea, eat cake and talk openly and confidentially with other like-minded people. Facilitated by Jan Brewer, M.A., CMT and Teresa Weiser, Ed.D. For more information, call Jan at (510)684-5555 and/or visit www.deathcafe.com.

Lecture series Where We Live: History, Nature, and Culture will present a program by Stacy Guffey, “Mountain Talk 2, A Serious and Entertaining Look at Our Local English.” Will be held on Monday, Aug. 15, 6:30 p.m., at Cowee School, 51 Cowee School Drive, off NC 28 N in Franklin. He’ll take a serious and humorous look at why Mountain Talk or Southern Appalachian is a real accent, variant, or even dialect with its own grammar and rich history that should be respected and preserved. 

Macon County Republican Women’s Club will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 11:30 a.m., at Fat Buddies BBQ. The monthly speaker will be Christy Kinser, Field Director with NC GOP Victory.

Adult and Teen Challenge of the Smokies Men’s Center Graduation will be held on Saturday Aug. 20, 10 a.m., at the center, 336 Living Hope Way, Franklin. There will be worship, a message, a short video and graduates giving their testimonies. There will be refreshments and a reception after. For more information about their addiction recovery program for men go to www.livinghopeway.com or call (828)524-2157.

FHS Class of 1968 Class Reunion will be held on  Aug. 20, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Holly Springs Community Center, 2720 Cat Creek Rd..  Soft drinks, tea, water and paper products will be provided.  Please bring snacks to share.

North Shore Cemetery Association will be hosting decorations for Higdon and McCampbell Gap (Wilson) Cemeteries on Sunday, Aug. 21,   first boat shuttle leaves at 8:30 a.m., last leaves at 10 a.m. from the Cable Cove Boating Access Area off of NC 28 near Fontana Village.This will be the last ‘Hazel Creek trip’ of the year. There will be a pot luck. Bring a dish to share or provide your own lunch and drink. Pets are not allowed in accordance with Park rules and regulations. Service animals must have papers and be vested. Check Facebook/NorthShoreCemeteryDecorations for additional information, changes, cancellations, and to message regarding mobility needs.

Bascom Center for the Visual Arts Free Exhibitions   “Like No Other Place,” through Dec. 31,  at the Joel Gallery; at the Thompson Gallery,  “Members Challenge: Place” through Sept. 10; Thursday, Aug. 11, 5 p.m. free Exhibitions Reception (Like No Other Place and Members Challenge:  Place); Saturday, August 13, 1 p.m., The Ballet of Place, performance by Ballet Memphis (free to the entire community, with special encouragement for young people to attend, first-come, first-served seating.  The gallery is located at 323 Franklin Rd., Highlands. For more information, call  (828)526-4949.

Share the Journey Support Group for Caregivers whose loved ones are experiencing memory loss will meet on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church, 26 Church St. Enter the church from the parking lot, come through the double red doors in the courtyard and follow the signs. For more information, call (828)524-3119.

Gem & Mineral Society of Franklin will meet Thursday, Aug. 25, 6:30 p.m., at First Christian Church, 156 Belleview Park Rd, Franklin.

School Supply Drop-off at Edward Jones Branch Office at 81 West Main Street during regular business hours. Items needed include backpacks, pencils, pens, one inch binders, Clorox or Lysol wipes, crayola crayons, and more. The school supply drive will run through Aug. 12.

Historic TM Rickman Store located at 259 Cowee Creek Road is now open for visitors on Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Discover unique items and listen to local musicians. Parking is limited with additional parking available at Cowee Arts and Heritage Center a short walk from the store.

Gem & Mineral Museum, located in the Old Jail on Phillips Street in downtown Franklin is now open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 12 to 4 p.m., featuring gems and artifacts from North Carolina as well as all over the world.

Uptown Gallery Childrens Art Classes will be held on Wednesdays afternoons. Adult workshops in acrylic, watercolor, acrylic paint pouring, encaustic, and glass fusing are also offered. Free painting in the classroom Monday’s 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Membership meeting second Sunday of the month 3 p.m. The gallery is located at 30 E. Main St. in Franklin. For more information, contact mtully1001@gmail.com for more information..

Franklin Alcoholics Anonymous “Open Meetings” are for anyone who thinks they may have a drinking problem or for anyone interested in the A.A. recovery program. Meetings are held Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m. at  No Wrong Door, 102 Thomas Heights Rd.; Sunday, 1 p.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 5:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church Outreach Center, 66 Harrison Ave.;  Tuesday, 8 a.m.,  and Thursday, 12 noon at St. Agnes Episcopal Church on 66 Church St.;  Wednesday, 7 p.m. at St. Cyprians Episcopal Church, 216 Roller Mill Rd. On-line meeting information is available by visiting www.aawnc80.org. To speak with a member of A.A., call (828)349-4357.

Dorothy and John Crawford Senior Center is now offering limited in-person classes at the Robert Carpenter Community Building.  A variety of exercise classes and a writing group are offered in the afternoons for adults over 50. For more information, call (828)349-2058. 

Macon Chips, Franklin’s Wood Carving Club meets on Thursdays, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. inside the Franklin High School Wood Shop just off McCollum Drive.  Anyone interested is encouraged to attend.  Anyone under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.  For more information, call (828)342-8126.

Gem & Mineral Museum, located in the Old Jail on Phillips Street in downtown Franklin is now open Fridays and Saturdays from 12 to 4 p.m., featuring gems and artifacts from North Carolina as well as all over the world.

 Franklin Seventh Day Adventist Community Services are open on Monday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., to help Macon County residents in need with rent, power bill and a fully stocked food pantry. The church is located at 93 Church St., Suite 212. For more information, call (828)369-9000.   

Habitat for Humanity of Macon/Jackson County needs volunteers to share skills or gain some experience learning new ones. From carpentry to cleaning, marketing to moral support, computer skills, planning and organizing or just plain common sense, the greatest gift you could ever give is time. Any amount is good. Some great times, lasting friendships and rewarding experiences await.  Call (828)369-3716 or (828)371-5442.

Friends of the Greenway  FROG Quarters is now open Wednesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to  2 p.m.,  at 573 E. Main. Stop by for coffee, a soft drink and a snack, and free internet.  Reservations taken for the shelters.

Celebrate Recovery at Discover Church every Monday night,  6 to 8 p.m. Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, 12-step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, pain or addiction of any kind. Celebrate Recovery is a safe place to find community and freedom from the issues that are controlling our life. Free childcare up to five years old for attending parents. Discover Church is located at 47 Macon Center Dr. (behind Bojangles). For more information, email cr@discover.church for questions.

Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Centers in Cullowhee and Franklin have an educational parenting program to earn “points” to use to obtain free items for your family. The centers carry formula, diapers, wipes, baby items and clothing up to size 6, as well as  strollers, car seats, high chairs, pack n’ plays, etc. Donations are always welcome. Services are free and confidential. For more information or an appointment, call (828)349-3200, (828)293-3600 or smpcc.org

Crawford Senior Center  Zoom Classes will include exercise, tai chi, and others. For more information, or to register, call the Senior Center at (828)349-2058. 

Uptown Gallery on Main Street hours through December are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 pm and Wednesday and Sundays by appointment. The Uptown Gallery is located at 30 E Main St Franklin. For information call the gallery at (828) 349-4607.

Alzheimer’s Association Western Carolina Chapter Telephone Support Group for Caregivers of Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia is designed to provide caregivers opportunities for sharing, education, and support through a telephone conference. Support group participants and a support group facilitator connect each month for one-hour confidential sessions. For more information, call (800)272-3900.

Volunteer drivers needed at Macon County Senior Services. Mileage will be reimbursed. For more information, call (828) 349-0211.

Macon County CareNet is in need of volunteers. Positions open are food pantry, soup kitchen and file room. If interested stop by for an application at 130 Bidwell St., or call (828)369-2642.

CareNet on Bidwell Street will be open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  A box of food may be picked up once a week. 

Appalachian Animal Rescue Center is looking for volunteers to help at the thrift store. Call for information about the store (828)369-3046 or the shelter (828)524-4588 if you are interested in volunteering.

Macon Medication Assistance Program  located at the back of the First Baptist Church is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call (828)524-5258.

Men’s Teen Challenge Needs Good Quality Lumber for its woodworking Shop. Pick up in Franklin area. To donate, call (828)369-1177. 

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