FREE Dental Work TOMORROW in New Port Richey!

Tomorrow is the 10th Annual Dentistry From the Heart free dental care event at Monticciolo General and Sedation Dentistry, located at 4530 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey, FL.  500 patients will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis, starting at 7:30 a.m.  You may want to dig out that sleeping bag and prepare to camp out, as hundreds of people are lined up before dawn for this once a year event.

The dental staff will be providing free cleanings, fillings and extractions.  Referrals will be made for patients needing additional dental work performed.  Patients must be 18 years or older, and there are no income requirements to qualify.  For more information, visit their website.

If you can't make it tomorrow, another event will be held in the Tampa Bay area on Friday, March 5, at Marnie C. Bauer & Associates, located at 4306 West Kensington Ave. in Tampa, FL.  Visit their website or call the office at (813) 434-0305 for more information.

It's Fair Season in Florida!

February is here, which means the local and state fairs can't be far off!  Take a look at the dates for this year's festivities and plan your trips now.

Fort Dade Mountain Man Rendezvous
Feb. 6-8, 2010
Withlacoochee River Park, Dade City, FL
See how people lived in the early 19th century.

Florida State Fair
Feb. 4-15, 2010
Florida State Fairgrounds
4800 Hwy 301 N
Tampa, FL

Pasco County Fair
Feb. 15-21, 2010
Pasco County Fairgrounds
36722 State Road 52
Dade City, FL

Florida Strawberry Festival
Mar. 4-14, 2010
303 North Lemon St.
Plant City, FL

Aid for Haiti

If you want to send a monetary donation to relief efforts in Haiti, you can do so now via your cell phone.  Simply send a text message to one of the following groups:

• Text "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5 on behalf of the Yéle Foundation, the leading contributor to rebuilding Haiti founded by Wyclef Jean.
• Text "Haiti" to 20222 to donate $10 on behalf of The Clinton Foundation (former President Clinton is Special Envoy to Haiti)
• Text "Haiti" to 85944 to donate $5 on behalf of the Rescue Union Mission and MedCorp International.
• Text "Haiti" to 25383 to donate $5 on behalf of the Internal Rescue Committee.
• Text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 on behalf of the Red Cross in the U.S.

If you do not have a cell phone, do not have text messaging enabled, or wish to donate online or in another fashion, please click on the link below for more options:


How you can help Haiti

Christmas Tree Recycling

Christmas is over and you are taking down your decorations.  Have you thought about what you are going to do with your cut fresh Christmas tree?  Consider donating it to Pasco County Parks & Recreation for use as mulch in the county parks.  From now through January 9, Pasco County will be accepting Christmas trees to mulch.  Drop-off sites are located throughout the county.  Please be sure that all decorations, wire hangers, lights, tinsel, etc. are removed from the tree before you drop it off.  For more information and for pickup site locations, please click on the link below.

Pasco County will recycle Christmas trees for mulch through Jan. 9 - St. Petersburg Times

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Holiday Help

If you are in need of assistance this holiday season, there are several community organizations you can contact for help.  Below are a few of the community organizations offering holiday help this year:

Boxes of Joy
Joining Hands Community Mission
3214 US Highway 19
Holiday, FL 34690
(727) 937-3268 - Ask for Nancy
Provides toys for children and needed personal items for adults.  Proof of West Pasco residency and meet poverty guidelines for eligibility.

Toys for Tots
Countywide
Christmas programs provided through the Marine Corps with DCF clients.  Eligible candidates must be current clients with the Department of Children & Families and submit an application to the DCF office.

Christmas Assistance
Salvation Army of West Pasco
8040 Washington St.
Port Richey, FL 34668
(727) 847-6321
Anyone in need of services who meets income guidelines.  Call for more information.

Opportunities for Giving

A couple of Pasco County agencies have set up donation drives.  If you live or work near one of these locations, please consider donating.

Holiday Food Basket Drive/Toys for Tots Drive
Pasco County Sheriff Office
Locations throughout the county
Collecting nonperishable food items, such as instant potatoes and canned vegetables.  Also collecting new, unwrapped toys for the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots drive.
For more information on locations and dates, click here or call the Citizen Support Services Office at 1-800-854-2862, ext. 7736.

Nonperishable Food Drive
Hudson Regional Library
8012 Library Rd.
Hudson, FL 34667
(727) 861-3040
Ongoing food drive benefiting The Volunteer Way.  Nonperishable food item donations can be left in the bin in the library's lobby.

Thanks for Giving

It's the holiday season, and already the Salvation Army bell ringers have taken up their posts outside some of our local stores.  Metropolitan Ministries has put up their donation tents here and there, and soon we will be seeing Angel Trees fully stocked with ornaments, each one representing a needy child's Christmas wish list.

This is the season of giving, but, especially in today's economy, people need assistance year-round.  One very successful food drive can keep a food pantry stocked with nonperishable items for 4-6 months.  Consider holding an ongoing food donation drive at your church or place of business.  The United Way of Pasco County has promotional materials you can use to advertise your food drive.  Click here for more information.

Whether its dropping some change in the Salvation Army bucket when you go shopping, picking up a prepackaged donation bag at Publix, or contributing to Toys for Tots or Metropolitan Ministries, please remember your fellow human beings this holiday season and year-round.  Thanks for giving.