At the Westchester United Methodist Church in the Bronx, the spirit of giving runs strong throughout the year, but several young parishioners want to go the extra mile and contribute to relief efforts in Haiti.
Inspired by the teachings of their pastor, the Reverend Johnny Johnson, the congregation members want to work with relief organizations and initiatives that donate to particular villages in the island nation.
Their concerns about Haiti’s people - suffering in the wake of destruction caused this year by Tropical Storm Fay and Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna - peaked recently with the added heartbreak of two school building collapses. The first school disaster claimed nearly 100 lives, mostly children.
Relief organizations and individuals wishing to contribute should contact Barbara Jones for information at 718-918-9198 or send e-mail to barbara_jones655@yahoo.com.
A call for coats
Cable TV personality Ina Dillon and the Brooklyn-based Simms Tax Services are teaming up to get warm coats to needy New Yorkers this winter.
Coats for children and adults being collected in this drive will be distributed to disadvantaged families in Flatbush, Brooklyn. The garments are being collected at Simms Tax Services, 1478 Flatbush Ave. (between Farragut and Glenwood Roads). For information, call 917-349-8948 or e-mail theinadillonshow@yahoo.com.
Heavenly voices for holidays
Calvary & St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church holds its annual “Carol Service” on December 21 at 5 p.m. featuring performances by sopranos Charmaine Yarde and Jeanine Williams, contralto Carmen Carter, bass Anderson Clarke, tenor Dwayne Innis and percussionist Leaford McFarlane.
The church is at 966 Bushwick Ave. (between Bleecker and Grove Streets). The event is being presented by the Children Choir and Friends of Calvary & St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church. Offerings are welcome. Call the church at 718-453-3764 or Carrie Franklyn at 718-209-0564 for information.
Combo celebration
The Tabou Combo’s 40th Anniversary Lifetime Achievement Gala Roast - celebrating the many accomplishments and longevity of the beloved musical group - will be held next Saturday, December 20 at the Hilton Hotel in Melville, L.I.
Original band members Albert Chancy, Adolphe Chancy, Herman Nau, Serge Guerrier, Yves Joseph, Roger Eugene, Jean Claude Jean, and Yvon Andre will be special guests. And band members, old and new, are due to take the stage for a grand performance.
Armstrong Jeune, Cubano and Emeline Michel will be among the entertainers paying tribute to Tabou Combo. There will also be the screening of a short documentary and patrons will get free copies of the band’s souvenir book: “40 Years and Counting.”
For information and tickets for the affair, call Nadege Fleurimond at 646-489-4120 or send e-mail to: total.ambiance@gmail.com.
Young journalists on the air
There’s still time to catch the exceptional work of the award-winning series “Radio Rookies.” The effort features students from Brooklyn’s High School for Global Citizenship, creators of radio segments that air on the “Morning Edition” show on WNYC radio (93.9 FM/820 AM).
“Morning Edition” can be heard weekdays on 93.9 FM at 5 a.m. and 820 AM at 6 a.m. Current and past editions of Radio Rookies are available online at www.wnyc.org/radiorookies
Awards to anti-AIDS group
The Port-au-Prince, Haiti, organization Promoteurs Objectif Z/ro Sida (POZ) was among the 2008 recipients of the Red Ribbon Award presented by the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to help fund anti-AIDS groups around the world.
POZ will receive a grant from UNAIDS as part of its Red Ribbon recognition. The group runs five sites in Haiti, providing counseling and a wide range of support for more than 2,000 HIV sufferers. Visit www.redribbonaward.org for information on the awards. To contact POZ, call 509-244-4023.
Fishing for investments
Looking to the future for a good investment in Guyana? President Bharrat Jagdeo’s tip is the “aquaculture” business.
Jagdeo, speaking at the recent Agri-Business Investment Seminar and Mini Exhibition held at Naresa’s Palace in South Ozone Park, Queens, talked up aquaculture, or aqua farming, as a growth area for investors interested in business opportunities in his nation.
Aquaculture is the business of cultivating marine or freshwater food fish or shellfish, such as oysters, clams, salmon and trout, under controlled conditions.
The event, organized by the Guyana Marketing Corporation and the Guyana Consulate in New York, is aimed at promoting the many agro-business investment opportunities that exist in Guyana.
This column is reprinted from the December 14 Sunday editions of The New York Daily News. If you have items suitable for this column please e-mail them to jmccallister@nydailynews.com.
