FOOD DRIVE | Hammond

Greater Hammond Community Services and Hammond Parks and Recreation Department have teamed up to host a food drive in an effort to replenish the food pantry that serves Hammond and the surrounding community. Nonperishable food items can be brought until April 15 to the lobby at City Hall, 5925 Calumet Ave.; Hammond Fitness Center, 5825 S. Sohl Ave.; and Jean Shepherd Community Center, 3031 J.F. Mahoney Drive. No clothing or paper products are needed.

FYI: Call (219) 853-6378.

EASTER GIFT | Schererville

Crossroads Community Church gave Easter food baskets and children's items to families in the community, via the St. John Township Trustee's office. In addition, Culver's Restaurant donated ice cream pies and $125 in gift certificates to round out the holiday meals.

SOUP DINNER | Hammond

Clark High School's seventh annual soup dinner will benefit St. Joseph's soup kitchen and the Whiting food pantry. The dinner, served from 4 to 7 p.m. April 11 in the Clark cafeteria, is sponsored by the Clark National Honor Society. Additionally, Clark art class students are joining faculty and community volunteers to make 300 ceramic bowls for the dinner. Culinary art students from the Hammond Area Career Center will make the soup, while Clark students and community volunteers will prepare salads and desserts. Monetary contributions are welcome. Admission is $7 for adults and $4 for children younger than 10, which includes the bowl. Tickets are available at Clark by calling (219) 659-3522 or at the door. Funded initially by a mini-grant from the Hammond Education Foundation, the soup dinner has generated more than $10,000 over the past six years to feed the hungry in Hammond Robertsdale-Whiting communities. The foundation is a volunteer organization of business, civic and

educational leaders committed to providing support for extraordinary learning experiences within the Hammond School System for which funding is not otherwise available.

FYI: Call (219) 989-2400, ext. 1044, or 659-3522.

CANCER FUNDRAISER | St. John

A benefit fundraiser for Craig "Shags" Evans, of Calumet City, will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. April 13 at St. John Pub, 9623 Wicker Ave. The 45-year-old single father of 6-year-old Colton has been fighting a four-year battle with a rare form of melanoma. Tickets for the fundraiser are $35 and include dinner, drinks and live entertainment by K.O.Bossy and fun.

FYI: Call (219) 365-7880 or visit www.kobossy.com.

NEW HORIZONS | Hammond

New Horizons is the theme of the 27th Emporium at 6:30 p.m. April 18 at Bishop Noll Institute, 1519 Hoffman St. Tickets are $100 until April 4 and $125 after that date for cocktails and light dinner buffet, silent, scholarship and live auctions and entertainment by Marilyn Gaza and Standing Ovation DJs. Also, a ceremony to induct Bev Mullaney for Outstanding Service and Pete Doherty '71 as standing Alum into the BNI Hall of Honor will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium, and all are invited.

FYI: Call (219) 932-9058.

CLINIC VOLUNTEERS | Crown Point

Make a difference by volunteering an hour or two. St. Clare Health Clinic at St. Anthony Medical Center is looking for help providing primary health care to the working poor and uninsured in Crown Point and surrounding communities.

FYI: Call (219) 681-6976.

Spay/neuter | Mokena, Ill.

The National Animal Welfare Society, a nonprofit organization, has a low cost spay/neuter clinic at 10080 W. 191st. Appointments are required. The price for fixing female dogs is $85, male dogs are $80, female cats are $60 and male cats are $50. There is an additional $25 fee for dogs more than 80 pounds. All pit bulls and pit bull mixes are done for $50. Those who are on public assistance or a fixed income can qualify for lower prices through special programs. For April, Indiana residents are eligible for the discounted price of $50 for all dogs and $25 for all cats. All dogs must be on a leash and cats must be in a closed carrier.

FYI: Call (708) 478-5102.

HEROS FUNDRAISER | Lowell

A family fundraising event will be held March 30 for Military HEROS, a newly formed foundation aimed at helping military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The event is from noon to 7 p.m. March 30 at D.C.'s Country Junction, 3599 W. 161st Ave. It feature bands such as Scamp, Shud Up and Drive, Flint Lock, Country Junction, Spare Time and Nick Danger. Raffle prizes will include a guitar autographed by country singer Mark Chestnut and two front-row tickets to any country concert at the Midwest Amphitheater in Tinley Park, Ill. There also will be activities for children, including face painting and balloon animals. Tickets are $10 per person with youths 15 and younger admitted free. Sondra Julian, of Chesterton, started the foundation after her son was deployed to Iraq last year.

FYI: Visit www.mheros.org, e-mail contact@mheros.org or call (219) 728-9440.

SHOP VOLUNTEERS | Highland

Humane Society Calumet Area needs volunteers for its PAWS Resale Shoppe, 2817 Jewett St. The shop sells everything from furniture to dishes to books and collectibles. Proceeds benefit the shelter.

FYI: Call (219) 838-PAWS.