Buddhist Fellowship raising funds, awareness for the homeless
Volusia Buddhist Fellowship, a nonsectarian Buddhist organization based in DeLand, will host a special Nov, 23 event to raise food, funds and awareness for the area's hungry and homeless.
Feed Your Mind -- Feed Your Neighbor, an around-the-clock meditation retreat in downtown DeLand, will give people a chance to listen, take a break from the chaos and consumerism of Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, to practice meditation and focus on their spiritual lives while also helping those less fortunate to have a happier holiday season.
The event will begin at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 23, and continue nonstop until 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, at 113 W. Georgia Ave., across from Florida Victorian Architectural Antiques and Da Vinci's.
Volusia Buddhist Fellowship supports the mission of the Neighborhood Center of West Volusia, a DeLand agency that feeds the hungry, houses the homeless and prevents homelessness through rent and utility assistance, with food drives and similar projects. This year, however, members of the group hit upon the idea of combining their outreach activities with an event designed to promote inner peace with a 24-hour meditation-and-food drive.
No one will sit in silence the entire time: The schedule is divided into segments that include talks, guided and silent meditation, along with ample breaks. Visitors are welcome to drop by to relax for a few minutes or a few hours -- or even to meditate all night. The only "charge" for admission is a donation of nonperishable food item for the Neighborhood Center. Monetary donations also will be accepted on behalf of the center.
For more information, call Volusia Buddhist Fellowship at (386) 738-3715 or visit www.volusiabuddhist.org or e-mail volusiabuddhist@gmail.com.
Bake it, take it event planned
The West Volusia Audubon Society will hold it's annual fundraiser, the Make it, Bake it, Take it at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, at the Garden Club of DeLand at 865 S. Alabama Ave.
Merchant gift certificates and baskets, wildlife art, and plants will be available at silent auction. A tandem sky dive from Skydive DeLand, an echo boat trip and a pontoon boat rental will be auctioned.
Proceeds benefit the Wildlife Rescue Center and Gopher Tortoise rehab.
Viva Florida 500 committee to meet Nov. 29
The Viva Florida 500 planning committee will meet at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at the Volusia County Agricultural Center, 3100 E. New York Ave., DeLand.
Members will hear reports from subcommittees and continue planning 2013 activities to celebrate Ponce de Leon's landing in Florida 500 years ago.
Viva Florida 500 is a statewide grassroots effort to recognize de Leon's exploration and celebrate Florida's cultural history. All organizations planning events are encouraged to attend and share details with the group. The public is invited to attend and participate in the discussions.
For more information, (386) 736-5963 or email nmaddox@volusia.org.
Kids can receive a postcard from Santa
Santa is making his list and checking it twice at Volusia County's Parks, Recreation and Culture Division.
As part of an annual tradition, recreation employees will send personalized postcards from Santa to children up to age 11.
Parents can have their children added to Santa's mailing list by e-mailing the child's name, address and ZIP code to elves@volusia.org, calling (386) 736-5953 or faxing (386) 943-7012. Requests will be accepted through Dec. 9.
Learn to ballroom dance
The City of DeLand Parks and Recreation Department will offer ballroom dancing from 2 to 4 p.m. each Monday at the Sanborn Activity Center at Earl Brown Park.
For more information on this program, call (386) 740-6860.
Master gardeners to share their knowledge
The University of Florida/Volusia County Extension's master gardeners will share their knowledge during the following free programs.
oQ & A clinic: Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25. Carole Alderman and Jane Holcomb will answer gardening questions at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens, 950 Old Sugar Mill Road, Port Orange.
oCommunity gardens: 1 to 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29. Howard Jeffries will speak at DeBary Hall Historic Site. The programs are free and reservations are not required. For more information, call (386) 822-5778.
Council on Aging conducting holiday drives
The Council on Aging is conducting a holiday food drive.
The council's Santa for Seniors collection will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at four Lohman Funeral Home locations.
o935 E. New York Ave., DeLand
o168 Providence Blvd., Deltona
o733 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach
o3751 S. Ridgewood Ave., Port Orange
Participants may drop off a gift of cash, gift card or new unwrapped gifts for a senior.
The council is also collecting for its Angel Tree. To receive a name, call the council and it will be mailed to you. Items should be returned by Dec. 7.
For information, call (386) 253-4700, Ext. 250, e-mail lcampbell@coaiaa.org or visit www.coavolusia.org.
Pet Vet Cruiser scheduled
Volusia County's Pet Vet Cruiser offers low-cost spaying and neutering services to residents of unincorporated parts of the county and the cities of DeLand and South Daytona.
The Pet Vet Cruiser will be at Oakbrook Professional Center, 931 S. Spring Garden Ave., DeLand, on Nov. 27.
Fees are based on income. Appointments are required and may be made by calling (386) 626-6643.
For more information, visit volusia.org/petvet.
Food Addicts in Recovery to meet
Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous is available to those who suffer from food obsession, overeating, undereating and bulimia. There are no dues, fees or weigh-ins at meetings. There are six meetings in Volusia County.
For more information call (386) 258-0610 or visit www.foodaddicts.org.
Livestock Auctions at the Volusia County Fair & Youth Show
Despite a depressed economy and a polarizing national election earlier in the week, buyers packed the Townsend Livestock Pavilion Thursday, Nov. 8, at the Volusia County Fairgrounds for the Volusia County Fair & Youth Show's Livestock Auction of lamb, steer and swine.
According to Fair Association Director Leif Wright, the market auction saw eager bidders who committed nearly $165,000 Nov. 8. Nineteen lambs, 24 steer and 98 swine were sold.
Additionally, 13 animals were sold at Saturday night's goat auction, helping the livestock-auction earnings reach a grand total of $166,957.25 for this year's event.