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Friendship center receives $1,000 from Walmart. Walmart employees and customers helped their less fortunate neighbors in Montgomery County stay warm this winter by donating coats to The Friendship Center.

Nancy Harrington, president of the Friendship Center, also received a $1,000 gift from Walmart to be used for services to senior adults in Montgomery County.

NAM’s Holiday Project reaches more than 7,000 people. Northwest Assistance Ministries’ 2008 Holiday Project provided needy families with holiday food at Thanksgiving and in December, as well as gifts for children.

Thanks to the support of volunteers, individuals, congregations, organizations and area businesses, more than 7,000 people received assistance.

During the past holiday season, NAM’s Holiday Project provided food to 3,987 people. The food included turkeys and holiday trimmings to provide meals for three to five days. The project also collected and distributed gift bags to 3,351 children.

“The Holiday Project really is a labor of love for hundreds of volunteers who donate time and resources to help brighten the holidays for needy families,” said Carole Little, NAM president and CEO. “This year, with the downturn in the economy, requests for food have been up 20 percent from last year.”

Montgomery County Emergency Assistance provides A Little Help When Needed. Montgomery County Emergency Assistance received $255,000 in support funds for Ike recovery efforts from the Montgomery County United Way. Approximately 6,000 people have received assistance during 2008 from MCEA.

Executive director David Hwa says, “Emergency financial assistance that prevents eviction or/or utility disconnection, plus counseling, can help prevent families from becoming homeless. Our help enables clients ‘to get over the hump’ and get back on track with their lives.”

“Three months after Ike, the county is still picking up the pieces,” Hwa further explained, “That is why the recent emergency funding from Montgomery County United Way is especially important.”

YMCA Reaches Out to Make Holidays Brighter for Kids With Angel Giving Tree. Thanks to hundreds of generous angels in the community the Annual Holiday Angel Giving Tree project at the South Montgomery County YMCA was successful in making the holidays brighter for kids and families involved with the YMCA Outreach Program.

The request for help was much greater with a record number of names turned in this year. Holiday gifts were distributed to more than 300 children. For many of these children, this was the only gift they received during the holiday season.

Men who cook event honors chairman’s circle members. Food was plentiful at the recent Men Who Cook event hosted by the South Montgomery County Woodlands Chamber of Commerce to honor its Chairman’s Circle members.

Chairman’s Circle member Linda Freede of LJF Associates Advertising/Public Relations enjoyed the event and the culinary creations of chef Mike Karlins of Karlins & Ramey, who has been a chef at the event since its inception in 2006.

mcuw distributes hurricane ike response funds. MCUW volunteers distributed funds to community partners who have been assisting victims of Hurricane Ike in response and recovery.

Children’s Books on Wheels assisted area citizens with food and water directly after Ike. Rita Wiltz, executive director of Children’s Books On Wheels, provided assistance to more than 200 people to help them obtain emergency food stamps. MCUW received donations from Anadarko, Hughes Christensen and Ball Metal specifically for Ike response and recovery.

MCUW volunteers are distributing funds for these efforts by community partners that serve citizens in need.

ARTS FESTIVAL RECEIVES PROCLAMATION. The Woodlands Township issued a proclamation recognizing The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival and proclaimed April 4-5 as The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival Weekend at its regularly scheduled board of directors meeting on Dec. 3.

The proclamation was made in recognition of the contributions made by The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival to residents and visitors alike, and presented to Dr. David Gottlieb, chairman of the board for The Woodlands Waterway Arts Council.

“On behalf of the board of directors at The Woodlands Township, we are pleased to present this proclamation to The Woodlands Waterway Arts Council in creating one of the top arts festivals in the country,” said Nelda Luce Blair, The Woodlands Township’s chairman of the board. “This event attracts thousands of residents and visitors and provides great notoriety to The Woodlands.”

In just three short years, The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival has achieved national stature among artists with over 500 artists each year seeking to be selected through a juried process. The festival has garnered an attendance of over 35,000 guests, and more than half of these guests are drawn from outside of The Woodlands.

“We are so honored and thankful for the recognition from The Woodlands Township board of directors,” Dr. Gottlieb said. “On behalf of our multitude of dedicated volunteers, we will continue to bring an excellent Arts Festival to The Woodlands each year and we look forward to growth and expansion in the years to come.”

LJF Associates Presents Interfaith of The Woodlands

With Holiday Donation. In the spirit of the season, LJF Associates presented a $500 donation to Interfaith of The Woodlands’ Gift for Seniors program.

“LJF has always actively given back to the community, and we do that throughout the year,” noted Linda Freede, LJF Associates. “But this holiday season when many charities are struggling, each LJF employee was given an amount of money to choose which organization to donate their funds. Instead of sending cards and buying gifts, we have donated $500 of our funds to the Interfaith of The Woodlands Seniors program.”

The LJF Associates donation provided blankets for seniors in the community this holiday season. Through its Gifts for Seniors program, Interfaith provided gifts to local seniors who were in need or alone for the holidays.

sculpture of President Barack Obama. This is the first time Adickes has publicly displayed his rendering of the 44th President of the United States. Adickes also featured a collection of abstract art works that have never before been seen before during a week-long celebration of inaugural events at Pictures Plus Art Gallery, also home of Adickes’ sculpture The French Telephone, which weighs roughly 25,000 pounds, is 26 feet high and spans 22 feet across.