AMHERST — Efforts to bring families and individuals good cheer through the holiday season are getting underway.
On Monday, the Amherst Police Department is beginning its annual holiday gift drive, which encourages people to bring an unwrapped toy, clothing, book, gift card or wrapping supplies to the police station at 111 Main St.
Items collected will go to the Amherst Survival Center, Bridge Family Resource Center and Jessie’s House.
Those with questions about the gift drive should contact Detective Marcus Humber, its longtime organizer, at 413-259-3355 or humberm@amherstma.gov.
At the Amherst Senior Center, Claus for a Cause is a new initiative to bring good cheer to home-bound, lonely and isolated senior citizens in need of uplift during the holidays.
The Amherst Council on Aging is looking for donations of puzzle books, warm clothes, tea, cocoa, hard candies, lotion, lip balm and other products. Donations will then be festively packaged and delivered.
Volunteers are needed to help deliver bags. Those interested should contact Julia MacFadzen, volunteer coordinator, at 413-259-3038 or macfadzenj@amherstma.gov.
Donations can be made at various sites, including the police station, Town Hall, Jones Library, Munson Library, the Central Fire Station and the North Fire Station.
The Amherst Regional High School’s Parent Guardian Organization winter coat drive, a partnership with public schools’ Family Center, is also taking place.
New or gently used coats in teen and adult sizes can be dropped off at the collection boxes in the lobbies of the high school, the Visitor Information Center on South Pleasant Street and Greenfield Savings Bank on University Drive through Nov. 27.
Meanwhile, the Boy Scouts will set up for the annual Christmas tree sale at Kendrick Park the day before Thanksgiving for its annual sale.
There will also be food and companionship on offer during Thanksgiving week. The Amherst Survival Center, 138 Sunderland Road, is holding its “Honoring Native American Heritage and Giving Thanks for our Community” meal the day before Thanksgiving from from noon to 3 p.m. Food will be served in the dining room, as well as for takeout outside.
Then, on Thanksgiving Day, the Center for Human Development’s Not Bread Alone will serve a meal from the lower level of the First Congregational Church, 165 Main St., starting at 1 p.m.
The South Asian Fall Festival and Festival of Lights, timed to the celebration of Diwali, is being held Sunday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Crocker Farm School, 280 West St. Vidhi Salla will perform as DJ and Handicrafts, along with the University of Massachusetts’ South Asian a cappella group, Rang; EKTA from Smith College; and students from local schools, including Thunme Lekshey School, a weekend Tibetan language and cultural school.
Food will be provided by Big Basket, Paradise of India and Neighborhood Food Mart.
Dance, poetry, henna, and art will be part of the event, sponsored by the Amherst Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department, the town’s Human Rights Commission, Amherst Recreation and members of the Town Council.
Farah Ameen, a Jones Library trustee, said the event can help the community understand the diversity of the South Asian diaspora. “Celebrating South Asian culture helps us keep our traditions, languages, customs, art, and food alive for the next generation,” Ameen said.
“Coming together to appreciate art, music, and food, dancing together to the same rhythm, I believe such gatherings are vital for our communities to return to our shared humanity and appreciate all that is good within us,” said Town Councilor Shalini Bahl-Milne.
The Town Council this week issued a proclamation timed to Diwali “and its message of tolerance, compassion, and the victory of good over evil, which resonates with the American spirit.”
The South Congregational Church’s annual Sleighbell Fair takes place Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1066 South East St. on the South Amherst common.
The fair will feature a white elephant and collectibles room, stylish accessories, handmade crafts and ornaments, homemade jams and pickles, baked goods, a raffle and art auction, children’s books, and a toy room.
When the cafe opens, cinnamon buns and beverages will be available for purchase, with lunch to be served from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information, call 413-253-2977 or send email to office@amherstsouthchurch.org.
A pond loop trail and boardwalk was recently completed at the Sweet Alice Conservation Area, a partnership between Amherst town conservation staff and Kestrel Land Trust.
Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek told the Conservation Commission that the trail is already getting lots of use.
“It’s a reality hugely popular trail now,” Ziomek said.
Poet Jim Armenti, also a member of the Lonesome Brothers band, and photographer Dave Madeloni will share their work “Sun on the Muddy,” a book of poetry and photos published by Levellers Press, during an event at the Woodbury Room at Jones Library on Saturday at 3 p.m.
There will be a short presentation, poetry reading, a few songs, and conversation. Books will be available for purchase.
For more information about the event, contact Janet Ryan, the library’s head of programming and outreach, at 413-259-3223.
MONDAY: Local Historic District Commission, 3 p.m., Town Council, 5 p.m., with public forum on fiscal year 2025 budget, 6:30 p.m.
