PHOTO COURTESY STEVE WHITE

PHOTO COURTESY MARY ELLEN EARLY Grant received — Jenny R. George, administrator of Good Samaritan Florida Lutheran Retirement Center, presents a $10,000 Social Accountability Grant check to Family Renew Community April 24. Receiving the award are Claris Mac’Kie, Family Renew executive director, and Chuck Early, Family Renew board president. Also present are Pricilla Williamson, vice president of Florida Lutheran Resident Council, and Chris Graham, Florida Lutheran activity director. Family Renew Community is a nonprofit organization that provides transitional housing and support services to homeless families with children in Volusia County, with campuses in DeLand, Daytona Beach and Holly Hill.

BEACON PHOTO To fight childhood cancer — President Jeff Allebach of the Manatee Festival, third from right, presents a $1,000 check April 11 to Don Hill, executive director of the Childhood Cancer Foundation. Proceeds from the festival go to scholarships and various charities. Also on hand to celebrate the donation are Childhood Cancer Foundation members, from left, Quin Booth, Terry Bailey, Courtney Howard, Jack Becker, Janet Dixon and Steve Hayman, on the left, and Dwight Lewis and Patricia Dickerson on the right.

New board — West Volusia Habitat for Humanity welcomes members of the board of directors. They are, in the front row from left, Emily Holler, Barry Snyder, Donna Williams, Mark Grantham and Thomas Farrell. In the second row, from left, are Bobbi Baugh, Hannah Titus, Ann Rigsby, Earl Mallory, Jeff Lau and Melinda Scott. And in the back row are Greg Freed and Michael Breese.

PHOTO COURTESY BOB BOOTH Go free — West Volusia Audubon Society Co-President Arnette Sherman, left, prepares to release an American bald eagle back into the wild at the Volusia County Fairgrounds recently. The bird was injured in Volusia County and rehabbed for a few weeks at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland. It is the 441st eagle released by the center. Sherman is involved in Audubon’s Eagle Watch Program.

BEACON PHOTO/JAN GIROUX Thanks for the turkeys — West Volusia Business Professionals Secretary Karri Coffman accepts a Certificate of Appreciation from Salvation Army Maj.Francisco Zuniga. The group delivered 17 turkey dinners to families in need during the past Christmas holiday.

BEACON PHOTO/JAN GIROUX Dedication — Salvation Army Maj. Francisco Zuniga gives Marilyn Pinque a Certificate of Appreciation for her many years of dedication for organizing the annual West Volusia Salvation Army toy giveaway at Christmas. She has a knack for finding the best toy for each child on her list. In front are bricks that will be used to line a walkway outside the Salvation Army building. The bricks can be purchased for $100 apiece and can be used to honor a loved one or veteran, or a special occasion. The money earned from the bricks will benefit local programs.

BEACON PHOTO/JAN GIROUX Receiving Bell Award — Volunteer Ellie Freund, second from right, and First United Methodist Church of DeLand Pastor Owen Stricklin, far right, accept the Bell Award from Salvation Army Maj. Francisco Zuniga, second from left, for collecting the most money while bell-ringing during the holidays, as Salvation Army Advisory Board Chairman Curt Voelbel looks on. The pair were honored during the recent West Volusia Salvation Army Appreciation Luncheon for Volunteers.

PHOTO COURTESY TONY TUSSING Check presentation — Joe Sullivan, director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Volusia and Flagler, is presented a check for $2,500 by DeLand Kiwanis Club Program Leader Tony Tussing. The money was raised through ticket sales by the DeLand Kiwanis Club and the Concerned Clergy Coalition at a Stetson women’s basketball game.

PHOTO COURTESY CYNTHIA SCHOLL Fundraising distribution — The DeLand Zeta Theta Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha recently announced their annual charitable contributions to local charities. A $500 check was given to Good Samaritan of West Volusia, a faith-based organization that runs a free health and dental clinic; Journey’s End Animal Sanctuary, which provides lifetime care for abused and neglected animals; West Volusia Children’s Grief Center, which helps young ones cope with the loss of a loved one;and Way of the Beacon Inc., which gives two-year college scholarships to underprivileged Christian adults. In this photo, ESA President Marion Ridgeway, left, presents a check to Way of the Beacon president Cynthia Scholl.

PHOTO COURTESY KAREN PRIDGEON Welcoming women — The Pierson Lions Club recently voted to allow women members, welcoming their first member, Alma Stone, at the March 5 meeting. A longtime area resident, Alma is the wife of Robert Stone, who is a 45-year Lions Club member, and is currently serving as treasurer of the Pierson club. Any woman interested in joining the club should contact a current member, attend two meetings, and pay her dues. She will then be voted in by the membership. The club meets the first and third Mondays at the clubhouse on First Street in Pierson.