Events of Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Our Town Meal Distribution Program.  4 PM to 6 PM.  Martin L. King, Jr. Center.  The Our Town Meal Distribution Program is ready to help anyone with a need.  Here are the key details community members need to know about receiving free meals:  Come to the MLK Center at 1107 Adrian St. in Jackson from 4-6 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between Feb. 1 and April 9, 2021.

• Please do not line up in your vehicle before 3:30 p.m. the day of distribution.
• If you come in a vehicle, please stay in your vehicle and follow signs to the distribution area.
• Walk-ups are welcome, but please be prepared to wait in line and social distance.
• Healthy meals from local restaurants are given to anyone who needs a meal.
• Meals are available on a first come, first serve basis.
• Volunteers in the distribution area will assist you.
• Meals are pre-packaged and can be reheated at home.
• Vegetarian options are available.
• Monetary donations are accepted but not required.

Find out more at http://www.cityofjackson.org/1005/Our-Town-Meal-Distribution

Catholic Charities of Jackson Lenawee Hillsdale St. Patrick’s Day Box Lunches Sign Up.  It’s time to order your box lunches for our annual St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser on March 17, 2021. For $10 per box lunch, you will get a corned beef and Swiss sandwich on rye, potato chips, freshly baked cookie, coleslaw, and accouterments. Orders must be placed by February 28, 2021.  To safely accommodate everyone, boxed lunches will need to be pre-ordered and prepaid online to keep everyone protected while respecting the protocols recommended by the CDC. Purchases can be made online by clicking HERE.  Please note that we are unable to deliver box lunches this year. We will offer drive thru pick up to help keep everyone as safe as possible.  For the details on ordering and pickup, you can download a flyer by clicking HERE.

Red Cross Blood Drive. In honor of Black History Month this February, the American Red Cross encourages eligible donors, and especially those who have recovered from COVID-19, to give blood to honor the legacies of African Americans like Dr. Charles Drew and Dr. Jerome Holland. Their passion for helping improve the lives of patients in need of lifesaving blood products is carried on through dedicated blood donors, blood drive sponsors, volunteers and Red Cross employees.  Blood donation appointments can be made by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. As a thank-you for helping ensure a stable blood supply, those who come to give this February will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email, courtesy of Amazon. (Restrictions apply. Additional information and details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Together.)

Upcoming Blood Drives:

2/17/2021: 10 a.m. – 3:45 p.m., Jackson College, 2111 Emmons Rd

2/18/2021: 12 p.m. – 5:45 p.m., Jackson American Legion, 3200 Lansing Avenue

2/22/2021: 12 p.m. – 5:45 p.m., St. John’s Parish Center, 711 N. Francis Street

2/24/2021: 10 a.m. – 3:45 p.m., FOE 612, 301 Detroit St

2/25/2021: 12 p.m. – 5:45 p.m., Calvary United Methodist Church, 925 Backus

2/26/2021: 12 p.m. – 5:45 p.m., St Rita Parish, 10516 Hayes Road

VITA Tax Preparation.  Community Action Agency provides free Federal, state and city income tax preparation services through the IRS sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. CAA provides trained IRS certified volunteer tax preparers to complete and e-file returns.  Tax preparers work with each client to ensure the client receives all of the money they are entitled to receive. This money could be from the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Homestead Property Tax Credit, Home Heating Credit, among others. To learn more about the EITC visit the IRS EITC homepage.  Returns are electronically filed (e-filed) to speed up the receipt of the refund. Returns for prior years may be able to be completed for you.  Residents who have household incomes of less than $57,000 can get their tax returns prepared for free.  To schedule an appointment, call 517-247-2099.  caajlh.org

17th Annual Young Poets Competition.  Have you ever imagined riding on a space ship? Or building a snowman that reaches the sky? These themes and many more are what the Jackson District Library is asking K-12 students in the county to write about for the 17th Annual Young Poets Contest.  If you are a K-12 student in Jackson County, JDL invites you to submit one original poem by March 1, 2021.  You’ll find the entry form here, as well as contest guidelines (including prize information), and resources that you can use to spark your imagination. Be sure to check out last year’s winners here.  For more information, please contact JDL’s Community Engagement Department via email.

Frida Kahlo’s Garden Exhibit at Ella Sharp Museum.  Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) is considered one of the most significant artists of the twentieth century. Her body of work, consisting of some 250 paintings and drawings, is at once intensely personal and universal in scope, and relies heavily on the natural world.  The exhibition “Frida Kahlo’s Garden”, presented by Ella Sharp Museum in partnership with Jackson School of the Arts, transports visitors to Kahlo’s garden to experience her world of inspiration as she did.  The exhibition features several freestanding units focused on thematic areas incorporating a selection of objects, artifacts, photographs, and paper ephemera; audio/video features; interactive stations; and wall-mounted graphics. ON VIEW AT ELLA SHARP MUSEUM  January 28 – March 16, 2021