Delco Deals: Dirt Cheap or FREE! by Peggy De


Monday, January 20, 2014

January is freezing over with freebies!

Penn State to kick off FREE speakers series

Penn State Brandywine will start its annual Spring Speaker Series with a presentation from Sean Moir, local Revolutionary War aficionado. Community members are invited to join Moir as he presents “A Fortnight in Chester County: The Philadelphia Campaign of 1777” 6p.m., Wednesday (Jan. 22) in the Main Building, room 113, at Penn State, 25 Yearsley Mill Road (off Rte. 352),Media.
Moir will discuss the Revolutionary War troop movements in Chester and Delaware Counties, known as the “Philadelphia Campaign.” The British initiative took place during the late 1700s to gain control of Philadelphia during the war. His presentation establishes the context of the campaign within the American Revolution and uses unique animated maps to help tie the events to local sites.
“Many of the troop movements of this campaign are not well known and people of Chester and Delaware Counties are often surprised to find that Washington or Howe's army marched right past their properties or camped in places we visit every day,” Moir said.
A Penn State alumnus, Moir is the owner and president of Western Heritage Mapping, which aims to grow the understanding of U.S. culture by providing educators the ability to create presentations that are more effective by using animated maps, according to its website.
The event is free and light refreshments will be served. Due to limited space, RSVP to BW-UR@psu.edu or call 610-892-1484.
PSU Brandywine will also welcome Penn State Laureate and Beatles enthusiast Kenneth Womack to campus as part of its annual Spring Speaker Series on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 11:30a.m.  To find out more information about these and other upcoming speakers, visit the speakers series page on Brandywine’s web site at brandywine.psu.edu.

Free Dance Party for Seniors at Redwood

County residents age 50 years and older can hit the dance floor at the Redwood Playhouse Community Center for a Bringing in the New Year Dance Party  7 to 9:30p.m., Thursday (Jan. 23). The Peter Thomas Band will perform and there will be line dancing with Bootscooter.
Redwood also offers free fitness programs Wednesday and Friday afternoons, Line Dancing Monday and Friday afternoons, Country Line Dancing on Wednesday evenings and Live Bands on Tuesday afternoons.
All events are free and sponsored by Delaware County Council and the Parks and Recreation Department. The Redwood Playhouse Community Center is on 6th St.  Upland Park, Upland. For more information call 610-891-6061 or visit the county web site at www.co.delaware.pa.us and click on Park and Recreation, Upland Park and Redwood schedule.

FREE Environmental Summit coming up at Heinz Refuge

Delco's Concerned Citizens for Environmental Change (DCCEC) will hold their 9th Annual Delaware County Environmental Summit 8:30 am to 1 pm Sat. (Feb. 15) at the Cusano Environmental Education Center, John Heinz Wildlife Refuge, 8601 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia.
 The event is free and anyone interested may participate. This year’s theme is  “Innovative Ways to Protect Land:  No Money, No Problem." Refreshments will be provided.
  To register or to view an agenda, visit http://delcoenvironmental.tripod.com/. To register to have a table display, e-mail jaclyn_rhoads@yahoo.com or call 267-221-5274.

Winter/ Spring FREE Programs at Ridley Park Library

 Registration is underway for winter/spring programs at the Ridley Park Library.
Bingo for children in grades 1 to 5 will be held on Saturdays, February 1 to 22 at 2 p.m. Local children can play bingo, win prizes, check out books.
Bedtime stories will be held starting Tuesday, February 25 at 6:45 p.m. for ages 3 to 6. Preschool storytime begins Wednesday, February 5 at 10:30 am and 1pm.
The popular Pals – Read to the Animals is scheduled for Wednesdays, February 12, March 12 and April 9 at 7 p.m. for grades 1 to 5. Reluctant readers choose a book and read to animals.
For a complete list of programs, inquire at the circulation desk at the library for a Winter/Spring program brochure.
All programs require registration. Call the Ridley Park Library to register, (610) 583-7207.
Ridley Park Library is at 107 E Ward Street in Ridley Park.

UFO Investigation at Ridley Township Library

Bill Weber, the Chief Investigator for MUFON (The Mutual UFO Network) in Pennsylvania and Delaware, will present a program at Ridley Township Library on Saturday, February 8th at 1 pm in Garling Hall. The audience will learn what MUFON is and what it does. Bill’s presentation will also focus on a case currently being investigated by MUFON – a possible mid-air collision. During his eighteen years with MUFON, Bill Weber has directly investigated over 70 cases, ranging from anomalous lights, orbs and objects, up to and including possible abduction cases. Bill’s background is in electrical engineering, where he holds 3 U.S. patents. Register for this free program by calling 610-583-0593, by emailing reference@ridleylibrary.org, or by visiting the library, located at 100 E. MacDade Blvd., Folsom.
Talk on railway companies 1897 to present at Wallingford Presbyterian

FREE pizza and activities for kids at Holy Child Friday Night

 “There’s Snow Place Like HCA," a fun evening of winter-themed activities and a pizza dinner, will be offered Friday, Jan. 24 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Holy Child Academy, 475 Shadeland Avenue in Drexel Hill.
This free event is for children currently in kindergarten, first and second grades, and they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Parents and their children will have the opportunity to meet Holy Child teachers and learn more about the Academy.
Holy Child Academy, a co-educational, independent, Catholic school located in Drexel Hill, offers an Early Childhood Montessori Program (Nursery 2+) in addition to education for Kindergarten through Eighth Grade students.
For more information or to register, contact Christine McLaughlin at cmclaughlin@holychildacademy.com or 610-259-2712.

StARR celebrates National Model Railroad Month with FREE open house

StARR, (St. Alban’s Railroad,) will host their 23rd annual holiday open house Feb. 1-2 and 15-16, all Saturday and Sunday events. No admission is charged, but donations are greatly appreciated.  The railroad's completely rebuilt steel mill continues to expand.  Also featured are a maintenance of way train, a finely detailed oil refinery, and improvements to the Wilson Coke Plant which is still in progress.
The Saint Alban’s Railroad Fellowship (StARR) is an outreach ministry of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 3625 Chapel Road in Newtown Square.  The club has been meeting for 23 fun-filled years in the basement under the Thrift Shop.  New members are always welcome.

Art show at Malvern Retreat House with complimentary wine and cheese

Art Show 2014 will be held at Malvern Retreat House Jan. 29- Feb. 2. Original juried artwork by more than 100 professional artists will be on display and for sale. Hours are  Wed–Sat, 10 am to 7 pm; Sun, 10 am to 4 pm.
  A special feature of the show will be  “Abstraction—What’s the Attraction?” featuring 15 abstract artists.  Everyone is  invited to  the complimentary wine and cheese reception,5-8 pm  Fri., Jan. 31. A portion of sales will benefit Malvern Retreat House and 35% of all artwork sales are tax deductible.
Malvern Retreat House, McShain-Horstmann Family Life Center is at  315 S. Warren Ave., Malvern. For more information, call  484-321-2562 or visit www.MalvernRetreat.com/ArtShow/.

Local AAUW Hosts Talk on Human Trafficking Jan. 28

The Eastern Delco Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will host a luncheon and talk on Human Trafficking. January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
The luncheon is set for 12:30p.m., Tuesday (Jan. 28) at D’Ignazio’s Towne House Restaurant, 117 Veterans Square, Media.
Featured speakers are Shea Rhodes, Esq. and Jen Horowitz, advocates in the local anti-human trafficking movement.
Lunch is a la carte; the program is free. Reservations are required; call Marge at 484-483-7678.
Nearly 21 million people are currently in forced labor around the world, including in the suburbs of Pennsylvania.
As defined under U.S. federal law, victims of human trafficking include children involved in the sex trade, adults age 18 or over who are coerced or deceived into commercial sex acts, and anyone forced into different forms of labor or services, such as domestic workers held in a home, or farm workers forced to labor against their will.
Speaker Shea M. Rhodes is the Managing Attorney at Graff & Associates, specializing in family law, with a practice area of Montgomery, Philadelphia, Delaware, Chester, and Bucks counties. Rhodes is a graduate of Villanova Law School and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas. She formerly served as an Assistant District Attorney for Philadelphia.  Rhodes served as a staff attorney for the Crime Victim’s Law project, a collaboration between the Network of Victim Assistance in Bucks County, Crime Victims Center of Chester County, Delaware County Women Against Rape, and Victim Services Center of Montgomery County. In this role, she provided legal assistance and advocacy for victims of rape, sexual assault, and stalking.
 Rhodes has first-hand experience working on human trafficking when she  was assigned to the Pretrial Division where she administered Project Dawn Court,  a diversion program for women who have been repeatedly charged and convicted of the crime of prostitution, the primary mode of sex trafficking. She also developed a Human Trafficking Working Group consisting of various local, state and federal law enforcement agencies working to collaboratively investigate and prosecute allegations of Human Trafficking in Philadelphia.
Rhodes has received numerous awards for her work, most recently receiving an Unsung Heroine Award from Women’s Way for her work in human trafficking. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Dawn's Place, Pennsylvania’s only residential treatment facility for women who are victims of sex trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation, and New Directions for Women, a residential program for women transition from the criminal justice system back into the community.
Jen Horwitz, MSPPM, is the Director of Public Policy for Women’s Way, the leading philanthropy, advocacy, and education organization for women and girls in the Greater Philadelphia area.
Horwitz received her graduate degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and her BA in Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College.  Prior to joining Women’s Way, Horwitz worked for Amnesty International USA, The ALS Association of Western Pennsylvania, TechBridgeWorld, the American Cancer Society, and in the corporate sector.
Horwitz has experience working on human trafficking at the local, state, federal, and international levels. She served on Amnesty International USA’s human trafficking work group and violence against women campaign team, and currently serves as co-chair of the Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalition’s Advocacy & Outreach Committee and on the Pennsylvania Anti-Trafficking Advocacy Work Group. Program is Free, but Reservations are required: Call 484-483-7678

Free Community Dinner at Christ UMC

Christ United Methodist Church holds free community dinners the fourth Wednesday of each month from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.  Child care and homework help is available.  The next dinner is tonight (January 22). All are welcome.
The church is located at 600 E. Duttons Mill Road, Brookhaven (610-874-1270; www.christumcbrookhaven.com.).

FREE Storytimes Set at Media-U.P. Library

Media Upper providence Library has scheduled the following story times:
--Preschool Storytime every Friday at 1p.m. for ages 3 and 4; consists of stories, music, activities and a craft. Registration is not required.
--Infant Storytime 11a.m., Wednesdays in February, and is for 0-24 months old. Miss Theresa will tell stories, and lead music and rhymes.
--Toddler Storytime is set for 11a.m., Mondays, March 3 through 24, and is for ages 2 and 3.  Miss Theresa will lead stories, music and rhymes.
Infant and Toddler Storytimes require registration; call 610-566-1918 or email mecsd@delcolibraries.org.

FREE Career help available at DCCC

  Delaware County Community College’s New Choices Career Development  program features mock interview sessions as part of the career development curriculum. With newly created résumés,  students have an opportunity to improve their interviewing skills by practicing one-on-one with business professionals.
 New Choices is a free career exploration and job re-entry program that provides individual and group support, career planning workshops, employer contacts, networking opportunities, résumé writing, interviewing techniques and basic computer training. The program’s goal is to assist participants in reaching economic independence by finding and retaining employment and/or training.
Applications are now being accepted for the session beginning this week. Interested individuals are invited to call 610-359-5232, email newchoices@dccc.edu or visit www.facebook.com/NewChoices for more  information. Classes are held at Delaware County Community College’s Marple Campus, 901 South Media Line Road.

Transition Media Hosts ‘Gasland Part II’ Film Screening

Transition Town Media, along with Food & Water Watch Pennsylvania and Delaware Riverkeeper Network, will present the film “Gasland Part II” 6p.m., Friday (Jan. 24) at Media Friends, 125 West 3rd Street Media. The evening will include an introduction to the film, film screening, and panel discussion.
In this follow-up to his Oscar-nominated film “Gasland,” filmmaker Josh Fox uses his trademark dark humor to take a deeper look at the dangers of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the controversial method of extracting natural gas and oil. Pennsylvania is a leading state in the fracking industry.
“Gasland II,” which premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival, shows how the stakes have been raised on all sides in this important environmental issue. The film argues that the gas industry’s portrayal of natural gas as a clean and safe alternative to oil is a myth and that fracked wells inevitably leak over time, contaminating water and air.
There will be an opportunity after the film to ask questions and discuss concerns with members of Food and Water Watch Pennsylvania and Delaware River Keepers. For more information, contact  info@transitiontownmedia.org or go to the website: http://transitiontownmedia.org.

FREE Lego Club at Media Upper Providence Library

The Media-Upper Providence Free Library will hold its Lego Club on the third Sunday of each month from 1:30 to 3p.m. Participants spend the afternoon getting creative at the library, where a story will be read before it’s time to build with the library’s many Lego collections. Lego Club is for ages 4 through 10. Registration is not required. Call 610-566-1918 or email mecsd@delcolibraries.org for more information. Lego Club dates are as follows: Feb. 16, March 16, and May 18.

Volunteers wanted for Medical Reserve Corps; Free Orientation set at Delco 9-1-1 Center

      Delaware County residents interested in volunteering in the event of a public health crisis or large scale medical emergency are invited to attend an orientation session for the Delaware County Medical Reserve Corps, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, at the Delaware County Emergency Services Center, 360 N. Middletown Road, Middletown Township.
      Residents of all ages and walks of life are needed to use their individual skills to help their family, friends and neighbors in the event of an emergency. Volunteers are also called on to help during public health and emergency response drills. Volunteers can be medical professionals or other non-medically qualified people.
      The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a branch of the Citizen Corps, the umbrella organization for disaster volunteers in Delaware County. Member organizations are the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), and the County Animal Response Team (DelCART).
      MRC volunteers have the opportunity to receive free training and to be part of a broader team that can respond to emergencies and disasters throughout the county. Attendees will learn about the roles and responsibilities of volunteers and how to be an active member of this rewarding endeavor. There are three orientation sessions scheduled this spring and people can attend any one of them.
      The orientation sessions for the Medical Reserve Corps are: 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, Tuesday, March 25, or Tuesday, May 20 at the Delaware County 911 Center, 360 N. Middletown Road, in Middletown.  Further discussion will include personal emergency preparedness and upcoming training events.
      For more information or to RSVP, contact the Volunteer Management Coordinator Ed Kline by email ekline@delcodes.com, phone 610-892-8134 or visit www.co.delaware.pa.us.
      For more information about the national program visit www.medicalreservecorps.gov.
   
Free SAT/ACT Prep Classes 

Parents and students from Delaware County are invited to  register for free SAT/ACT Prep classes offered at the College Access Center, 400 E. 21st Street (21st Street and Providence Avenue), Chester,  a building owned by Widener University.
The First Session, Jan. 21 to Feb. 18  is aimed at students taking the Feb. 8 ACT and/or the March 8 SAT exam. The Second Session, Feb.25 to March 25, is for students taking the April 12 ACT and/or the May 3 SAT exam.  Students can sit for both sessions if they desire.
The Center provides a number of FREE college preparatory services to local high school students including 1-on-1 counseling sessions, homework assistance, tutoring, mentoring programs for young men, along with community workshops on admissions, financial aid, and scholarships.
To register, call 610-499-1391. Space is very limited.  Selections are on a first-come basis until seats are completely filled.
Both sessions are broken into two sections (Basic or Advanced). All students are required to take a pre-test and have access to Kaplan Certified instruction.
More information is available online at www.collegeaccessdelco.org.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home

Powered by Blogger

Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]