Happy Valentine's Day: Here's a Heart Full Of FREEBIES To Celebrate The Day!

Fair Acres offers FREE training program for Certified Nurse Aides in Delaware County

 Fair Acres, Delaware County’s skilled care facility in Middletown, offers a free training program for individuals to become Certified Nurse Aides, workers who are on the frontline of patient care.
 The training program is sponsored by Fair Acres for the preparation and training of potential employees interested in becoming Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs).
 CNAs work under the supervision of qualified nurses and provide daily living care to the patients. They perform a vital role in patient care and management.
 To become a CNA, an individual must undergo CNA training at a state-approved education provider and pass the CNA certification test.
 Individuals interested in the Fair Acres CNA training program must complete an application process, which includes a formal written application, a test of reading rate and comprehension, safety and practical thinking questions, state and federal police clearances, a physical exam, and Tuberculosis testing. Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
 Once these steps are completed and cleared, the person may begin the CNA program, which is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and lasts 120 hours, or about four weeks. The program includes classroom instruction, skills lab and clinical hours.
 Classes are held 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday on the Fair Acres campus in Middletown. Daily attendance and punctuality are mandatory.
 Completion of the program does not guarantee employment at Fair Acres, but once completed, a student may be offered employment.
 The CNA Training Program also prepares students for the American Red Cross Certification Test.
 CNAs perform such tasks as checking vital signs, bathing, grooming and feeding patients, and providing social and emotional support to patients.
 For information about the Fair Acres Certified Nurse Aide Training Program, call the Fair Acres personnel department at 610-891-5709.

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FREE class available on how to work modern day gadgets

  If you find yourself getting frustrated with electronic gadgets like cell phones, smart phones and cannot even imagine how to use an mp3 player, nook or tablet.  Grab your gadget and bring it to Schoolhouse on March 6 from 1:30-4:00 pm.  Staff from the Cellular Connection will be here to work with people in a group and individually on how to work your gadget.  This class is free and open to the community.  Registration is required.
   For information  Contact  Schoolhouse Center, 600 Swarthmore Ave., Folsom   at  (610) 237-8100 or make reservations at the center.

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Marple Historical Society Hosts FREE  Lecture On The Lazaretto

 The Marple Historical Society will sponsor a free public lecture 7:30p.m., Tuesday (Feb. 26) at Marple Christian Church, 475 Lawrence Road, Broomall.    Bill Moller of the Tinicum Township Historical Society will tell the story of The Lazaretto.
   The gateway to Philadelphia for the first century of our nation's existence was the Lazaretto quarantine station and hospital, where all ships, passengers and cargo arriving from spring through fall were inspected and quarantined, if necessary.
   The name Lazaretto derives from St. Lazarus, patron saint of lepers.
   Some have called the Lazaretto Philadelphia's Ellis Island, but from a historical standpoint, it is even rarer.
   The 1799 structure still stands as a silent monument to the first hundred years of the nation’s conflicted history of immigration and public health.
   Refreshments will be served.
   For more information go to www.thomasmasseyhouse.org or call 610-353-3644.

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‘Restoring Habitat, Landscape Structure:’ CRC Offers FREE Lecture

 Chester-Ridley-Crum Watersheds Association, Penn State Brandywine and a consortium of Delaware and Chester county municipalities will jointly host a free lecture, “Restoring Habitat, Landscape Structure, and Health in Our Watersheds,” 2 to 3:30p.m., Sunday (March 10).
   The featured speaker will be Tom Brightman, Land Steward for Longwood Gardens. He is responsible for the care of over 700 acres of wetlands, meadows, forest, and agricultural lands at Longwood. He is a frequent lecturer at Longwood, the Copeland Native Plant Seminar, and landscape symposiums.
   The talk will be held in the Tomezsko Building at Penn State Brandywine, 25 Yearsley Mill Road, Media.
   Topics to be covered in the talk include the following:
   --Understanding the basics of biodiversity and habitat structure and integrating them into a developed landscape;
   --Creating a woodland garden on private property;
   --Functions and care of meadows of all sizes;
   --How to best use storm water on a property, including restoration of traditional storm water basins for improved function and habitat;
   How to better choose plants for a property.
   The lecture is free and open to the public but pre-registration is required due to limited seating. To register, contact the Chester-Ridley-Crum Watersheds Association at 610-359-1440 or by email crc@nni.com. For more information, visit www.crcwatersheds.org.

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Former NBA Player Chris Herren To Speak At Neumann Feb. 25
 Former NBA player Chris Herren will speak at Neumann University 7p.m., Monday (Feb. 25) in the Mirenda Center for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development.
   Herren will share his harrowing story of abuse and recovery. His story was featured in the ESPN documentary “Unguarded,” and his memoir, Basketball Junkie.
   A former NBA player, Herren was a high school basketball legend from Fall River, Massachusetts, who realized his lifelong dream of playing for the Boston Celtics only to lose it all to alcohol and drug addictions. Sober since 2008, he has refocused his life to put sobriety and family above all else. In 2009, he launched Hoop Dreams with Chris Herren, a basketball player development company that offers basketball training, camps and clinics, in New England.
   Off the court, Herren continues to share his story with audiences in hopes of making a difference other lives. In his presentation, he draws on his own history to convince audiences that it is never too late to follow your dreams and urges them to overcome their setbacks and start making the right choices.
   (The presentation is free and open to the public. For more information, call Neumann Athletics at 484-840-4710.)
     
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‘History of Ridley Township’  At Ridley Twp. Library in March

  Ridley Township Public Library will present the “History of Ridley Township” 6:45 pm Wednesdays, March 6 and 20 in Garling Hall.
   Did you know that Norwood, Prospect Park, Glenolden, Eddystone, Rutledge and Ridley Park were once part of the Township? This free two-part series, presented by local historian Keith Lockhart and illustrated with original photos, will reveal this and other interesting facts about Ridley Township.  Lockhart is a lifelong Ridley resident, and a retired Ridley Township Police Officer. A graduate of Penn State University, he has written numerous booklets on the history of the area and for years wrote a history column for Town Talk. He has also contributed to both the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily Times.
  In 30 years of collecting,  Lockhart has amassed one of the largest collections of Delaware County historical memorabilia.
   Register for this program by calling 610-583-0593, emailing reference@ridleylibrary.org, or stopping by the library, 100 E. MacDade Blvd., Folsom.

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FREE Concert At Congregation Beth Yeshua

  Congregation Beth Yeshua will present Ted Pearce in concert, 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 22. His music is sung in synagogues around the world each Shabbat and has also been recorded by artists for international distribution. The concert will be held in Philadelphia at 7501 Haverford Ave. For more information, vist www.cby.org.  

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Taize Service And Game Night At Wallingford Presbyterian
     Wallingford Presbyterian Church will host the first of two Taize Prayer Services to be conducted during Lent. For those interested in a time of preparation as we approach Easter, or for those looking for a respite from the craziness of the day, a Taize service is a way to relax and re-center. The service combines music (vocal and instrumental), prayer and meditation. The service is set for 7p.m., tonight (Feb. 20).
    The Outreach Council of Wallingford Presbyterian Church will hold the rescheduled Pizza and Game Night that was snowed out in January. It’s set for Friday (Feb. 22).
   People of all ages are welcome to this night of board games, floor games, card games, puzzles and origami-making. Those with favorite games are encouraged to bring them.
   Registration via the church website: www.wallingfordpres.org is encouraged to ensure there is enough refreshments. There is no charge for the event.
   For more information, call Walt Kaminski at 610-334-2025). The church is at 110 E Brookhaven Rd, Wallingford, PA 19086.

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WWII Marines To Speak At Middletown Library

  Middletown Library and local historian Andrew Miller will sponsor a free program, “Island by Island: the Marines in World War II,” 1 to 3:30p.m., Saturday (Feb. 23) at the Middletown Township Administration Building on Pennell Road, Lima.
   Register by calling the library at 610-566-7828. Carpooling is suggested since parking is limited.

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FREE Admission And Tours For Students at Michener Museum

   Local Applebee’s restaurants have joined the John A. Michener Art Museum for the sixth consecutive year to provide art enrichment to local students through the School Visit Program. The initiative offers free admission to all school groups visiting the museum, and since its inception, has enabled over 27,000 students to benefit from educational opportunities at the Michener Museum.
  While visiting the Michener Museum, students from preschool through grade 12 are introduced to the fascinating world of museums through age-appropriate educational activities. Past activities include Jim Henson’s Fantastic World, which featured 100 original artworks, including drawings, cartoons and storyboards from Henson’s career and allowed students to take part in a puppet theater. In 2013, in celebration of the Michener Museum’s 25th Anniversary, students can look forward to the Grace Kelly exhibit featuring Kelly’s clothing, playbills, letters, photographs and jewelry, as well as film clips and audio recordings.
   “We are privileged to be able to give the gift of the arts to so many students across the Delaware Valley,” said Jeff Warden, CEO of The Rose Group. “The School Visit Program with the Michener Museum is a partnership that we treasure and look forward to continuing in years to come.”
  As part of the sponsorship, the Michener Museum has been able to increase its diversity among school audiences in Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Lehigh, Delaware and Chester counties, as well as in New Jersey.

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Knights To Distribute  FREE Wheelchairs To Those In Need

  The Knights of Columbus Mater Dei Council, Newtown Square, will distribute free wheelchair this fall, on a first come, first served basis. The group has a limited number of wheelchairs in good working condition that will be given to those who need them, including children nuns, seniors and veterans.
  The program is part of the Knights humanitarian projects for which they fundraise all year.
  Those interested in receiving a wheelchair may write to Whee4lchair Project Chairman Jata Ghosh, Knights of Columbus, 2213 Windsor Circle, Broomall, PA 19008 (610-353-0353).
  Also, anyone with a wheelchair in good condition that is not being used is asked to consider donating it.

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Free Subscriptions to Major Magazines from Local  Library

   A new library service provides free downloads of major magazines. The Delaware County Library System, an agency of county government, now offers current, downloadable magazines through a service called Zinio.  Use of Zinio is available for free with a DCLS library card.  To use the service, visit the DCLS web page (www.delcolibraries.org) and click the Zinio icon.  Instructions will then be seen for creating an account and accessing content.
  DCLS has subscribed to 197 publications, everything from arts & crafts to yoga.  Popular titles include: Consumer Reports, Newsweek, O, Cosmopolitan, Esquire and National Geographic.  There are many special magazines covering topics such as sports, technology, business, cars and motorcycles and crafts.  There are several titles in Spanish and of interest to the Latino community, including Gente y la Actualidad, Proceso and Latino Sports.
  In addition to the full-text cover-to-cover publications offered through the Zinio service, DCLS provides EBSCOHost, a database of magazine articles searchable by topic, with coverage going back a decade or more.
 Local residents can access EBSCOHost and other research collections at www.delcolibraries.org by clicking the POWER Library icon.
The Delaware County Library System is the department of county government responsible for providing support services to public libraries.  Follow @delcolibraries on Twitter and delawarecountylibraries on Facebook.  You can support DCLS with a tax deductible donation to the Library Foundation of Delaware County www.supportdelcolibraries.org.



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Dog Agility Trials Open To Public     The public is invited to spend a day or hours watching hundreds of dogs compete in the upcoming Agility Trials, sponsored by the Delaware County Kennel Club. They will be held on two weekends, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 22-24 and March 1-3 at Dream Park, Route 130 S, approximately one-half mile south of the Commodore Barry Bridge in Swedesboro, NJ.
 Admission is FREE for the indoor event; competition begins at 8:30a.m. Hundreds of dogs will compete at various levels of ability.
   For information go www.delcokennelclub.com or call 610-565-3063 

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