In brief: Garden City Food Pantry giving event, student news and more in Monroeville

The Pittsburgh Foundation is celebrating Critical Needs Alert Day with a one-day online giving event to benefit the Garden City Food Pantry in Monroeville. The event is slated for Aug. 3 from 8 a.m. to midnight.

Donations can be made at pittsburghgives.org. Search for “Garden City UMC Food Pantry.” Any online donation for the Garden City Food Pantry of $25 or more will be eligible for additional incentive funds from the Pittsburgh Foundation.

Student news

• Eibhlin Terrell was named to the dean’s list for the spring 2021 semester at Westminster College. Terrell is majoring in accounting and business administration. To qualify, students must earn a GPA of 3.6 or higher.

• The following Youngstown State University students have been named to the dean’s list for spring 2021 semester: Rachel Mrazik, an EC intervention specialist major; and Bradley Metts, a financial management track major.

Book discussion

The Monroeville Public Library will host a discussion of The Souls of Clayhatchee: A Southern Tale by Anthony Carlisle. James Kingsman, a career-driven reporter, must suspend his work, his life in New York and his relationship with his girlfriend, Jackie, to travel 1,130 miles to Clayhatchee, Ala., to fulfill his mother’s final wish: to be buried in the South, her native home.

A novel about family ties, generational racism and a mysterious murder that casts its shadow on a man fulfilling his mother’s dying wish, The Souls of Clayhatchee is a debut novel from a Pittsburgh based author.

Carlisle is a professor at California University of Pennsylvania. He has worked as a journalist at the New Pittsburgh Courier, the Pittsburgh Business Times and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

This event is at 7 p.m. Thursday and will be hosted on Zoom, with the link on the library’s website and Facebook pages. For more, contact Cory Little at littlec2@einetwork.net or 412-372-0500, ext. 122.

Garden City UMC Food Pantry

Garden City UMC food pantry, 500 Laurel Drive, holds distributions from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. Call 412-373-0391 for an appointment. Face masks are required. Upcoming distribution dates are Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 11 and Dec. 9.

Fellowship

• On July 18, Hillcrest United Presbyterian Church will be holding a “Blessing of the Pets” outdoor service. The service is open to the public and will begin at 10 a.m. on the front lawn of the Church located at 1622 James St. Please bring a lawn chair for your comfort. Please have your animal under control, leashed or in a carrier. For more information, call Dr. John Lolla at 412-735-0108 or consult the Church’s website.

• The 20th anniversary of 9/11 will be commemorated by the Hillcrest United Presbyterian Church during a special service Sept. 12 remembering the sacrifices of first responders during this traumatic event in our nation’s history. The 11 a.m. community service will feature special music as a tribute to those who gave their lives during 9/11 to save the nation from terrorism. The Hillcrest United Presbyterian Church is located at 1622 James St. in Monroeville.

English as a Second Language group

An English as a Second Language (ESL) Conversation Group is held at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the Monroeville Public Library.

Participants can meet other English language learners for informal and guided conversation practice, including reviewing pronunciation, learning new vocabulary and possibly discussing short ESL readings suited to the interests and abilities of attendees.

Sessions are open to all English language learners with at least some communication skills. For details, contact Cory Little at little c2@einetwork.net or 412-372-0500, ext. 122.

Farmers market

The Monroeville Lions farmers market is open from 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday at Monroeville Community Park, 2399 Tilbrook Road.

For more information, visit monroevillefarmersmarket.com.