Southwest and Spring Valley Neighborhood News

Foundation set to hold toy drive

The Foundation for Positively Kids, a nonprofit that serves medically fragile children and their families, has scheduled a toy drive from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday in the parking lot of Sam's Club, 7175 Spring Mountain Road.

The organization will be collecting new toys for children from birth to age 12. The foundation is especially looking for dolls, games, cars, trucks, stacking cups, crayons, baby rattles, puzzles, soft toys, games and children's books.

Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, call 262-0037 or visit positivelykids.org.

Help Operation Homefront collect gifts

Operation Homefront Nevada and Dollar Tree are collecting holiday gifts for military children in Nevada. The toys will be donated by patrons of the more than 4,000 Dollar Tree and Deal$ stores nationwide.

Last year's effort donated more than 6 million toys nationwide.

Toys will be collected through today. Gifts will be distributed to military children during holiday events. In areas where Operation Homefront does not have a chapter, local military support groups will distribute the toys to military families and their children.

For more information, visit operationhomefront.net.

Kraft and Sussman funeral services to host discussion on aging

A healthy aging seminar is set for 7 p.m. today at Kraft & Sussman Funeral Services, 3975 S. Durango Drive, Suite 204. Lisa Rosenberg, M.D., is scheduled to speak.

Learn what to expect and ways you can be proactive in managing these changes and easing the effects of aging on your body.

Las Vegas rotary clubs collecting clothing

Las Vegas-area Rotary clubs are asking for donations for the 16th annual Gift of the Holidays program, which provides winter clothing to children in need. On Thursday, children identified by local charitable organizations will be driven to JCPenney stores, where each child will be paired with a Rotarian or a volunteer to shop for shoes, socks, underwear, pants, shirts and a jacket.

The day includes supervised sports activities with college athletes and cheerleaders and a pizza party.

In order to reach its goal, the Rotary clubs need to collect more than $30,000. To make a donation, contact Jim Hunt at 498-7787 or Tom Krob at 498-2259.

Reiki healing circle planned at funeral services location

Reiki masters the Rev. Peggy Ashman and the Rev. Karen Jackson have scheduled a Reiki healing circle at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Kraft and Sussman Funeral Services, 3975 S. Durango Drive, Suite 204.

The circle is intended to help those who have experienced a loss and desire some gentle assistance in moving through the stages of grief.

This relaxation technique is intended to be calming and help relieve the body of emotional distress and sorrow.

Zappos execs set to speak at CSN Charleston campus

Trendsetting local business leader Zappos.com Chief Executive Officer Tony Hsieh along with fellow Zappos.com executive Fred Mossler will be speaking to the CSN community about Zappos' happiness-driven business philosophy from 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 13 in Building I, room 108, at the Charleston campus, 6375 W. Charleston Blvd.

The presentation will focus on how Zappos.com became one of the country's leading online retailers by incorporating happiness into its business model. The event is free and open to the public.

Winder Farms to donate turkeys to Three Square

Winder Farms invites its customers to help spread holiday joy to families in need by donating turkeys to Three Square food bank this holiday season via the Winder Farms website. Customers can click on "Donate a Turkey to the Food Bank" then "Add to Next Delivery" during their regular online shopping through Dec. 31.

The cost of the turkey will be added to the customer's next bill, and Winder Farms will deliver the turkey to Three Square.

Customers can order by calling 800-946-3371 or at winderfarms.com.

Community Management Group teams with Three Square for food drive

Three Square, along with Community Management Group and other partners, aims to ease the burden of hunger with its holiday food drive.

To help in the collection process, CMG has donated space at its main office as a food drive drop-off location from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3360 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 200.

CMG will collect food on behalf of Three Square through Dec. 20.

HELP of Southern Nevada launches holiday programs

HELP of Southern Nevada, 1640 E. Flamingo Road, is launching three of its annual programs this holiday season. Donations to HELP's Thanksgiving program provides a holiday meal for a family of four.

The group's Adopt-a-Family program allows people to assist needy families in giving them clothing and toys for the holidays.

Lastly, the Holiday Assistance/Toy Drive benefits more than 16,000 families with its donations.

To donate, volunteer or for more information, call Lisa Laudadio at 369-4357, ext. 1246, or visit helpsonv.org.

Learn to sell local produce and meat during workshops

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, 8050 Paradise Road, plans to launch a Beginning Farmers & Ranchers program in 2012 with workshops on field crops, processing and selling locally grown meat products and becoming a produce farmer.

Each workshop is two days long and costs $50, which includes two lunches and snacks.

The program is scheduled to run from March to September 2012. For more information, call Staci Emm at 775-945-3444 or visit unce.unr.edu.