n Gilberton: The Gilberton Methodist Church, Main Street, will sponsor a fish dinner from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. The cost is $10 for adults and $6 for children. Meals will include baked or breaded haddock, mac and cheese, stewed tomatoes, pepper cabbage and dessert. For more information, call 570-874-2455.
n Hometown: More than $20,000 worth of prizes will be awarded to lucky supporters of the Men of Marian’s 26th annual Chinese auction, to be held April 1 and 3 at the high school. There will be no preview night. The auction will be available to the public at 11 a.m. April 3. Bidding will take place until 2:30 p.m. that day. Radio disc jockey Polka Joe Manjack will broadcast live from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. According to a Marian press release, the event will offer a large and valuable selection of items including a refrigerator, recliner, lawn-and-garden package, gas grill, propane gas fire pit, washer/dryer, electric fireplace, patio set, kitchen assortment, flat screen television, restaurant dine-a-round and other prizes. In a special drawing, a “Faculty Fortune Tree” filled with gift cards and valued at $1,000 will be awarded to a lucky person. Homemade food items will be available throughout the day. The auction has a goal of raising $20,000, all of which will be used to benefit high school students. For more information about the Men of Marian, its Chinese auction or other programs the group sponsors, call the high school development office at 570- 467-0641 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or at 570-582-0021 after hours.
n Minersville: The Minersville Area Skatepark Association will have a spaghetti dinner and bake sale from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 10 at the New Minersville Fire Company, 500 Line St. The cost is $7 for adults and $4 for children. The takeout dinners will include spaghetti with meat sauce and salad, and a bake sale with homemade items. To make reservations, call Bobbie at 570-294-6235.
n Pottsville: The Schuylkill Historical Society, 305 N. Centre St., will present “Women of the Civil War: Clara Barton Founder of the American Red Cross” at 6 p.m. March 30 at the society headquarters. Maureen Costello, librarian at Marian High School, will do a re-enactment of Barton, a nurse in the Civil War. She will portray Barton in full costume and with props and provide Barton’s experiences and views regarding medicine and nursing and the prejudices she faced on the battlefield. To RSVP by March 28, call 570-622-7540.
n Pottsville: The Pottsville Lions Club recently presented a check for $250 to Opportunity House of Reading, the local nonprofit agency that is responsible for identifying and finding appropriate housing for veterans, especially those who have been identified and are homeless, according to a club release. Rachael Arndt, director of the Schuylkill County Homeless Veterans Program, attended a recent club meeting and spoke to club members about the issue and the group’s concern for homeless veterans. Arndt said Opportunity House has been advocating for a wide variety of local support services for veterans including locating homeless veterans and finding them housing and link them with community services to help keep them from again becoming homeless. She said OH works closely with the housing authority and the various support and service organizations that can help veterans adjust to life in the community and overcome issues that led to them becoming homeless. She also said OH works with Servants To All and other agencies in the quest to help veterans, their spouses and families. According to the Lions Bulletin, the local club seeks to help homeless veterans and the club’s charity arm sponsors free Thanksgiving Day meals for all veterans at the All-American Café in downtown Pottsville. The club also presented a county veteran in need of viable transportation with a modified car as part of its annual car cruise and show. The club boasts more than two dozen veterans who are veterans.
n Tamaqua: Zion Lutheran Church, Mauch Chunk and Greenwood streets, is having a pie sale. The cost is $7 per pie and flavors include coconut custard, apple crumb and lemon sponge. Pickups will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the church. For more information, call 570-668-0623.