HADLEY — Hampshire Mosque is holding an Open Day on Oct. 26, inviting the larger community to engage with their Muslim neighbors for a few hours.
The Open Day begins at 11 a.m., with the first hour set aside for a tour of the mosque, located at 451 Russell St. Inside, various booths will be set up, there will be a Quran recitation and hijab try-ons.
Then, from noon to 2 p.m., guest speaker Dr. Sabeel Ahmed will give a talk. Ahmed is the director of the GainPeace project, an Islamic outreach program that strives to build bridges between people of various faiths, races and nationalities.
Questions and answers, a live call to prayer Adhan, live Islamic prayers and food and drink will also take place that afternoon.
Parking is available in the main parking lot at the Route 9 location, with overflow parking on Greenleaves Drive in Amherst.
RSVP’s are required and can be completed at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1yQCbCSR-AGONjD5wii53Ld0ySTmjjt0DqyLQ5hHQUgA/
For more information, go to hampshiremosque.org or send email to hampshiremosquedawah@gmail.com.
HOLYOKE — Visitors to Holyoke Community College on Friday, Oct. 25, can expect to see ghosts, witches, and ghouls, along with an assortment of characters from their favorite children’s movies, games, and TV shows as the college celebrates Halloween with its annual Trunk or Treat event.
Dozens of HCC departments, programs, and student clubs, as well as community groups and area businesses decorate vehicles every year for this event.
Trunk or Treat runs from 5 to 7 p.m. in Parking Lot M by the Bartley Center for Athletics and Recreation on the main HCC campus, 303 Homestead Ave.
Prizes are awarded to vehicle sponsors in various categories including best executed theme, scariest trunk, best costumes, and most original.
Each vehicle will be handing out free Halloween treats and also have non-food items for children with dietary restrictions.
Trunk or Treat at HCC started in 2017 as a safe, fun, and early alternative to traditional trick-or-treating on Halloween night. Rather than going door to door seeking Halloween treats, children go “trunk to trunk” to collect their candy, visiting cars decorated with seasonal themes and familiar stories and characters.
The event is free and open to the public and will be held outdoors, rain or shine. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
To sponsor a vehicle, contact organizers Lindsey Pare at lpare@hcc.edu. The deadline is Monday, Oct. 21.
HOLYOKE — WestMass ElderCare has partnered with Delaney’s Market to provide ready-made meals for the nonprofit’s Senior Nutrition Program, which includes both home-delivered meals and its Community Table sites.
WMEC’s Senior Nutrition Program serves an average of 1,200 meals daily to older adults and individuals with disabilities across its service area of Holyoke, Chicopee, South Hadley, Granby, Ware and Ludlow. The new partnership with Delaney’s Market will enhance its ability to provide nutritious, delicious meals that align with its mission to support the health, independence, and quality of life of those served.
In addition to nourishment, WMEC’s home-delivered meals offer social interaction, safety, and peace of mind for caregivers who are unable to be with their loved ones. The drivers perform daily wellness checks, ensuring that no meal is delivered without meaningful interaction.
WMEC’s Community Table sites, located at Granby and South Hadley senior centers as well as housing locations in Chicopee, Holyoke, South Hadley and Ludlow, offer a welcoming environment where older adults and residents can enjoy a meal together, fostering social connections and community engagement.