Monthly Planner

Mar 24, 2024

Organizations with notices in the calendar are asked to advise the Cherokee Scout when changes are necessary by emailing [email protected].

FOOD BANKS The Cherokee County Sharing Center Food Bank, the county’s largest food bank, serving all of Cherokee County, is now located behind the First Baptist Church of Murphy, 517 Hiwassee St., Murphy. Distribution days and times are noon-2 p.m. Mondays and Fridays. Qualified “neighbors” can receive food twice a month. For details, call 828-360-4041 or 828-837-2615. (Note: For years, this food bank was formerly located at First United Methodist Church, and relocating in the spring of 2022 to First Baptist Church of Murphy.)

RESEARCH Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the church’s building on N.C. 141 in Peachtree is available for researching family trees. Call 828-837-8509 for details.

VETERANS Murphy Chapter 73 of Disabled American Veterans and the Ladies Auxiliary meets at 5 p.m. the third Monday each month in the Veterans Building, 65 Drew Taylor Road in Peachtree. Joe Miller Elkins American Legion Post 96 meets the first Monday of each month in the Veterans Building, 65 Drew Taylor Road in Peachtree. Breakfast starts at 9 a.m. followed by the meeting at 10 a.m. For details, call Bob Strawhecker at 727-432-4474. The American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 96, meets at 10 a.m. the third Tuesday of each month at 63 Drew Taylor Road, Murphy. It is open to the public. Any questions, call or text Joanne Schart, president, at 772-260-9681. Murphy American Veterans (AMVETS) Post 2015 meets at 5 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Penland Senior Center, 69 Alpine St. in Murphy. For details, call Larry Reid at 828-835-7405. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7620 in Andrews meets at 10 a.m. every third Tuesday of each month at the VFW Post at the corner of First and Oak streets in Andrews. They will host coffee from 9-11 a.m. every Tuesday. For details, call Scott Ramler, commander, at 407-718-9485 or email [email protected]. Marine Corps League, Cherokee Detachment 1011, holds its membership meeting at 10 a.m. the third Wednesday of each month at the Marine Corps League Building, 4955 Airport Road in Marble. For details, call commander George Bendzen at 828-644-4611. Blue Ridge Mountain Chapter of Military Officers Association of America is comprised of services who have served our country as commissioned officers in the military or U.S. Public Health Service. Members may be active, inactive, reserve or retired. The local chapter, which serves western North Carolina and north Georgia, meets the third Wednesday of each month at different locations. For details, call Joff Filion at 386-530-0904, email [email protected] or visit moaa.org/chapter/blueridgemountains. Warriors Veteran Outreach meets at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at 46 Valley River Ave., downstairs from The Daily Grind & Wine in downtown Murphy. All veterans and patriots are welcome. For details, call 828-557-6881 or visit WarriorsVeteranOutreach.com.CLUBS Martins Creek Community Club meets at 6:30 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month at the community center, 4605 Martins Creek Road. Gospel singings are held the fourth Saturday of each month from March through October. For details, call John Bandy at 828-361-0193. Peachtree Community Club meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month. For details, call Danny Rich at 828-837-4199. Hiwassee Dam Community Club meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of each month. For details, call Jane Stiles at 828-644-5382. Grape Creek Community Club on Joe Brown Highway meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of March, June, September and December. For details, call Nancy Helms at 828-837-3638. Unaka Community Club meets at 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month. Bugs & Brews – Unaka Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the local Trout Unlimited Chapter, gathers for free fly tying sessions from 6-8 p.m. the second Monday of each month at Valley River Brewery, 71 Tennessee St. in downtown Murphy. Bring your own gear and share some fish stories and fly tying skills. The intent is to teach those who want to or are just learning and enhance the skills of those that already tie. Keep it simple. Contact Robert Allen, president of Unaka Chapter Trout Unlimited 201 at 678-699-1409. Trout Unlimited Unaka Chapter will hold its monthly meeting from 6-8 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month at Valley River Brewery, 71 Tennessee St. in downtown Murphy. Its mission is to bring together diverse interests to care for and recover rivers and streams, so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. Everyone interested in the protection of our wild trout and their habitat as well as conserving our local natural resources are encouraged to attend. For details, contact Chapter President Robert Allen at 678-699-1409. Archibald D. Murphey Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution meets at 2 p.m. the second week of each month. For details, call Gretchen Wurth at 828-361-8481 or Michele Altenderfer at 828-644-0923. Bellview Community Club meets at 6 p.m. the second Monday of each month at the community center, 270 Old Bellview Road, Murphy. For details, call the community center at 828-835-3844 and leave a message. Cherokee County Indian Community Club meets at 6 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the community building, 828 Airport Road in Marble. For details, call Frank Herron at 828-403-8016. Culberson Community Club meets at various times at the center on N.C. 60. For details, call Silas Shields at 828-644-4170. Ranger Community Club, 155 Little Ranger Road, off U.S. 64 West, meets at 7 p.m. the first Friday of each month. For details, call Mandy Taylor at 828-557-1918. Brasstown Community Center at 255 Settawig Road meets at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of every month, starting with a potluck dinner. Bring a covered dish. For details, call Melvin Cantrell at 828-557-1453. Texana Community Development Club meets at 7 p.m. the first Monday of each month, unless it is a holiday. For details, call Eurial Turner, 678-438-9922. Marble Community Center hosts the “Biggest Loser” weight loss club meeting at 6 p.m. every Tuesday, and free line dancing classes from 7-8 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. For details, call Pam at 828-360-4136 or Tony at 828-360-6751. Murphy Rotary Club meets at noon Mondays, except for holidays, at Downtown Pizza in Murphy. For details, call President Sherry Raines at 828-837-2422. NARFE meets at 9 a.m. the third Wednesday of each month at Hayesville Family Restaurant. Call Bill Dailey at 828-389-4720 for details. Tri-State Gem & Mineral Club meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at Hayesville Senior Center on Ritter Road. For details, call Beverly Adkins at 828-389-9946, Susan Bartt at 706-896-9525 or Nancy Powell at 423-338-2035. Mountain Computer User Group meets at 6 p.m. every second Monday in the Goolsby Building on the campus of Young Harris (Ga.) College off U.S. 74. For details, call Jim Bell at 828-837-6456, John Yandell at 404-310-5113 or visit mcug.org. Mountain Country Rod & Gun Club meets at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at Penland Senior Center, 69 Alpine St. in Murphy. For details, write P.O. Box 813, Murphy, NC 28906; or call club president Jeff Gustafson at 828-516-9997. Smoky Mountain Stamp Club meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the Murphy Public Library, 9 Blumenthal St. downtown. Call 828-837-5105 or 828-837-6651 for details. Mountain Magic Table Tennis Club meets at 6 p.m. Thursdays at the Pine Log Baptist Church fellowship hall in Brasstown. Ping-pong players are welcome. For details, call Lee Holland at 828-389-0924. Mountain Coin Club meets every second Tuesday at North Georgia Technical School, 121 Meeks Ave. in Blairsville, Ga. The business meeting begins at 6:15 p.m., followed by an educational program and auction. For details, call Ron Langer at 828-361-0052. The Murphy Business Association meets from 6-7 p.m. the first Tuesday after the first Monday of every month, except holidays, at the Murphy Art Center, 33 Valley River Ave. downtown. Everyone is welcome. WCARS-Murphy Amateur Radio Club meets at 7 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month at First Baptist Church of Murphy, 517 Hiwassee St. in Murphy. For details, visit the club website at www.wcars-murphy.org.FIRE DEPARTMENTS Ranger Volunteer Fire Department will meet at 6:30 p.m. the first Thursday and third Monday of each month at the fire station. Volunteers are welcome. Call secretary Mandy Francis at 828-557-1918 for details. Hanging Dog Volunteer Fire Department has general membership meetings at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the station. Wolf Creek Volunteer Fire Department meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Mondays of each month at the Wolf Creek Fire Station, next to the Hot House Community Center. Call Fire Chief Eric Curtis at 828-361-0610 for details. Brasstown Volunteer Fire Department has training meetings at 6:30 p.m. every Monday. For details, call 828-837-2819.LODGES Marble Springs Lodge 439 AF&AM meets the first Saturday in each month at the Lodge Hall, 12 Bluff Road in Marble. The meal starts at 6:30 p.m. followed by the meeting at 7:30 p.m. Call Master Greg Allred at 828-361-0279 for details. Cherokee Lodge 146 AF&AM meets at 7 p.m. the first Monday of each month on Hiawassee Street in downtown Murphy.SUPPORT GROUPS Good Shepherd Hospice is in need of volunteers to provide support for families and patients in Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties. Volunteers can provide respite for caregivers, read, color, talk or just sit with patients, sing or provide music, or share any other skill. For details, call the office at 828-516-1100. The Autism Society of North Carolina, Cherokee County chapter, meets at 6 p.m. the second Tuesday each month at Kids in Stride. There will be no meetings in June or July. For details, call Melissa Zenz, regional chapter coordinator, at 419-392-7370. The Multiple Sclerosis support group will meet at 12:30 p.m. the second Saturday of each month at Julie’s Place in Murphy. For details, call Christy Goings at 828-837-9118. A support group for diabetics on insulin pumps or insulin dependent diabetics meets at 7 p.m. the third Monday of each month at Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville. For details, call Keven Schnur at 828-389-9757 or email [email protected]. Moms in Touch meets from 11 a.m. to noon Wednesdays to pray for children and schools. Call 837-0706. A parent/advocacy support group meets the second Tuesday of the month to focus on seeing that special-needs children get the help they need in school. For details, call Ellie or Randy Nehr at 828-837-0999. Family Caregivers’ support group meets at 2 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at Brasstown Manor, 108 Church St. in Hiawassee, Ga. For details, call 828-835-9987 or 828-389-1145. Cancer support group meets at 6 p.m. the second and fourth Monday of each month in the community room of United Community Bank, at the corner of U.S. 64 and N.C. 69 in Hayesville. Call Janet Curns at 828-389-0295 for details. Alcoholics Anonymous has a central office at 444 E. Hill St. in Murphy, serving as a contact and referral source for anyone dealing with alcohol-related problems in the tri-state area. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 828-837-4440 for details 24 hours a day. Alcoholics Anonymous will meet in Cherokee County at: 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Episcopal Church of the Messiah on Peachtree Street in downtown Murphy. Call 828-644-0127 for details. Al-Anon meets at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays at Free Methodist Church on Valley River Avenue, across from the Murphy Post Office. For details, call Tom Willey at 828-837-5310. Narcotics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Free Methodist Church, 422 Valley River Ave. in Murphy. For details, call 828-644-0127. Al-Anon meets from 10:30-11:30 a.m. every Saturday at Murphy Presbyterian Church, 252 Valley River Ave. in Murphy. The meeting takes place in the white building behind the main church. Parking is available in the 409 Building parking lot across the street. Everyone is invited. For details, contact Carol Robinson, 828-342-5616. Narcotics Anonymous meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays in the fellowship hall at Andrews United Methodist Church on Chestnut Street downtown. Call 828-360-5530 for details. Drug/alcohol addiction – call Renewed Hope Ministries in Peachtree at 828-837-7086 to learn more. Overeaters Anonymous meets at 9 a.m. Saturdays at Free Methodist Church on Valley River Avenue, across from the Murphy Post Office. For details, call Caroline Swan at 224-436-1738. 12-Step Program Overeaters Anonymous meets at 6 p.m. every Monday at Andrews Public Library. For details, call Diane at 828-835-2287. Summer is a time to be aware of what your kids are doing. Studies show there is a 30 percent increase in Ecstasy and Marijuana users in the summer. Not only are these drugs dangerous and gateway drugs but with the increased temperatures the addition of them can lead to heat stroke. Another first-time drug prominent during the summer is cocaine, know the signs. To learn what to look for, visit: narcononnewliferetreat.org/blog/how-summer-fun-spikes-first-time-users.html”. Narconon NewLife Retreat, a non-profit 501(c)3 public benefit corporation, can help you take steps to overcome addiction. Call 1-800-431-1754 for free screenings or referrals. Reach of Cherokee County is offering support groups for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault on the following days – “Domestic Violence,” at 10 a.m. Fridays; and “Sexual Assault” at 1 p.m. Fridays. All support groups will be conducted at Reach’s Women Resource Center offices, 1974 U.S. 64 W. in Murphy. The crisis line, 828-837-8064, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For details, call 828-837-9631. Reach of Clay County is holding a support group for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault from 2-3 p.m. Tuesdays. Groups are free and confidential. Child care is not provided. For details and the location, call April Chastain or Margie Garcia-Mathier at 828-389-0797. Free weekly Wellness Recovery Action Planning workshops, offered by Meridian Behavorial Health Services, meet from 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Smoky Mountain Building in Hayesville and 4-6 p.m. Thursdays at the Meridian Building in Marble. Call the center’s central office in Sylva at 828-631-3973, Ext. 1431, or the Marble center at 828-837-7466, Ext. 2331, for details. Postpartum Depression support group meets from 10-11:30 a.m. every first and third Wednesdays at the Cherokee County Family Resource Center in Ranger. There is no charge. Speakers are available upon request. For details, call Family Resources at 828-828-837-3460 or Jacalyn Hunt at 828-557-1016. Friends Sharing Grief, a support group for anyone who has lost someone close to them, meets at 2 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of each month at Macedonia Baptist Church on Wolf Creek Road, one-fourth mile south of Wolf Creek Corner on U.S. 64 West. The group also meets at 10 a.m. every Saturday at Penland Senior Center on Alpine Street in Murphy, sponsored by the Truett Baptist Association. Call Carol Skweres at 828-835-3802 for details. 4HisGlory Ministry Healing/Recovery Service, a Bible-based, non-denominational service for those dealing with any of life’s struggles, meets at 7 p.m. Mondays at Shiloh Church on Winchester Cove Road in Hayesville. For details, call 828-389-1180. A support group for anyone dealing with lupus is available 24 hours a day. For details or to volunteer services, call 828-644-9807. The National Alliance on Mental Illness Appalachian South, a local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at the Out Reach Center on West Main Street in Franklin. For details, call 706-970-9987 or Ann Nandrea at 828-369-7385. The Community Breastfeeding Information and Support Gathering for all families in western North Carolina meets from 10:30 a.m. to noon the first Saturday of each month at the Smoky Mountain OB/GYN office, in the main lobby across from Harris Hospital in Sylva. There is no charge. Refreshments will be served, and all are welcome. For details, call Stephanie Faulkner at 828-506-1185 or Teresa Bryant at 828-587-8214. The Trauma Recovery Group will be held at 6 p.m. each Tuesday with Dr. Elaine Dilbeck at World Harvest Church North, 135 Bud Franklin Drive in Blairsville, Ga. For details, call 678-580-8209. Beacon of Hope Substance Abuse Recovery Program meets at 6 p.m. every Saturday at River of Life Church, 83 E. Market St. in McCaysville, Ga. For details, call Pastor Freddie Thomas at 812-670-8722 or Dilbeck at 678-580-8209. A free virtual support group for those impacted by disabilities meets from 6-8 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of every month via Zoom. Email Karen Moree at [email protected] for a Zoom invitation.CHURCH Lottie Moon Baptist Women’s Group meets at 7 p.m. the first Monday of each month. Donna Pipes is the leader. First Baptist Church of Murphy, 517 Hiwassee St., Murphy, offers free lunches from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays through its Sparrow’s Nest MANNA kitchen ministry. For details, call the church, 828-837-2615. Ranger Baptist Church’s Wednesday service includes dinner at 5:45 p.m. for adults, 6 p.m. for youth in grades 7-12, 6:20 p.m. for children in grades 6 and under. Cost for adult meals is a $2 donation and free for youth and children. The church building is on Walker Road off U.S. 64 West in Ranger. For details, call 828-644-5020. The Knitting Group of Ranger United Methodist Church, 156 Ranger Road off U.S. 64 west of Murphy, meets from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays in the church basement. All levels of skill, as well as those who want to learn to knit, are invited to join the group as they make prayer shawls and other items for local hospital/nursing home, etc. For details, call the church office at 828-644-0191. The Ecumenical Choir Ensemble meets at 6 p.m. every Tuesday at Shepherd of the Mountains Church, 68 Fairfax Drive in Murphy. To join the choir, contact Evan Dean, choir director, at 828-837-4276 or email [email protected] for details. Vengeance Creek Baptist Church in Marble has a new children’s ministry, “His Kidz,” which meets from 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays. Dinner will be served. All kids ages 4-12 are invited. The AWANA program at Truett Memorial Baptist Church in downtown Hayesville meets from 5-7 p.m. Sundays. The program is for children ages 3-5, kindergarten through grade 5 and will have additional activities for youth in grades 6-12. For details or a ride, call the church office at 828-389-1053 or John Ehrhart at 828-389-3564.