From a corporate level, Athens committed cash and staff time to support these causes throughout this holiday season. As individuals, all employees of Athens Administrators are able to participate in several different ways: food, coats or toys. Athens employees also will help box up food at the office located on Stanwell, and in person at the Monument Crisis Center. Athens employees will be caroling at Bayberry as well as bring gifts for the residents.

About the Organizations:
The Monument Crisis Center: Has been helping folks in need for three years. They provide food boxes to around 6,000 individuals a month in the Concord area. This number has risen significantly over the past few months. MCC also provide childcare services, tutoring services, senior citizen activities and domestic violence services. They are always in need of donations and volunteer hours, and we will continue to work with them throughout 2009.

To help the Monument Crisis Center, Athens will be collect food and coats. Group activities will incude boxing food and to send small groups to the Monument Crisis Center to box food there.

Toys for Tots: Established in 1947, and ran by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. Over the years the Marines have distributed more than 370 million toys to more than 173 million children. This is a very worthy cause that we are thrilled to support.

Bayberry Care Center is a local convalescent facility. The committee’s goal is to make this a more festive Holiday season for the resident Seniors. Athens will be caroling at the facility one afternoon in December. Volunteers will collect gifts for the residents including warm socks, lotions, sugar free cookies, etc. So far the response has been tremendous.

President James Jenkins is generously allowing the employees to take time during the work day to participate in these activities. Athens Community Group will continue in 2009 to find ways for our employees to continue the momentum created by this holiday donation drive. Finally, Athens salutes all volunteers supporting Concord’s critical non-profit community service providers this holiday season!

Numerous local groups will participate, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, who will conduct the veterans’ memorial at the flagpole; the Pinole Valley High School Marching Band; and Pinole Boy Scout Troop 86, which will conduct the flag retirement ceremony at the barbecue pits in the park.

All veterans, students, and adults in the area are invited to participate.

Boy Scout Troop 86 will retire flags donated by citizens. Up to 10 flags will be retired. Citizens may bring flags to be retired for a tax-deductible $25 donation to the Pinole Historical Society. Citizens retiring flags will receive a new, high-quality nylon, all-weather, embroidered 3 x 5-foot flag. New flags will also be offered to the public for a tax-deductible $25 donation to the Pinole Historical Society.

Please e-mail the PHS at info@pinolehistoricalsociety.org if you would like to have a flag retired. Please put FLAG RETIREMENT in the subject line. Or, you may call PHS board member Jeff Rubin at 724-9507.

For information on how to properly retire a United States flag, click here.

- 10/11-12 Contra Costa Coin Show Concord Hilton
- 10/13-11/21 KIDS CAN KCRA-TV Participating Solano County schools
- 11/1 Gourmet East Bay Broadway Plaza Walnut Creek
- 11/2-9 Gourmet Easy Bay Restaurant Week sponsored by Diablo Magazine for details
- 11/15 Scouting for Food; Boy Scouts collect food dorr to door on this day

The Monument Crisis Center is a non-profit community based organization that provides assistance to at- risk families, children , seniors and individuals in Central Contra Costa County. The mission of the center is to provide food, offer help and referrals in crisis situations and promote community awareness of needs and available resources.

Food and monetary donations are welcome. Please park offisite to leave room for guests with special needs. RSVP at: mcc1280@sbcglobal.net or phone 925-825-7751 x 106