The following is a list of how organizations and individuals are working to assure people in and near Wake Forest have food on their table or have a place to get a meal. ** Saturday, Jan. 25, and every fourth Saturday, Feed the Community Food Distribution, sponsored by the Northeast Community Coalition and Tri-Area Ministry, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Spring Street Christian Church, 320 East Spring Street, Wake Forest. You must bring proof you live in Wake County. You can give signed permission for someone else to pick up food for you. If you are unable to get to the church, call Tee Caudle at 919-271-1275 to be registered in advance. ** Wake Forest Baptist Church and the InterFaith Food Shuttle offer a Monthly Mobile Market, distributing groceries, including lots of fresh produce, on the third Tuesday of the month from 4:30 p.m. until all the food is

Forest Moon Theater will present “Prelude to a Kiss” Friday through Sunday, Feb. 14-16 and Feb. 21-23, at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 South Brooks Street. Show time Friday and Saturday is 7:30 p.m., while the Sunday show time is 3 p.m. When Peter, a man from a broken family, meets Rita, an insomniac bartender with no faith in the future, only one thing can happen: they fall in love and get married. Then on the evening of their nuptials, an elderly stranger appears at the reception, bearing a kiss for the new bride. In this romantic fantasy, it is a kiss that tests the boundaries of the couple’s love. Advance tickets are $15 plus tax for adults and $13 plus tax for students and seniors. These prices reflect a savings of $3 per adult and student/senior on “day of” admission tickets. For more information or to purchase tickets,

The Wake Forest Police Department has scheduled its next Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events class for Tuesday, Feb. 18. The session will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. inside the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre at 405 South Brooks Street. There is no cost to participate, but registration is required at http://bit.ly/WFPD_CRASE. Class size is limited to the first 100 people to register. Please note: Every participant must register individually – one person per form. On the evening of the class, attendees may be required to show proof of registration prior to entering the Renaissance Centre. Led by Wake Forest Police Lt. L. Danforth, the session will teach participants what to do if confronted with an active shooter event. Designed and built on the Avoid, Deny, Defend (ADD) strategy developed by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University, the class will provide strategies, guidance and

The Wake Forest Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee is planning a four-day trip for area students to the Civil Rights Freedom Trail in Georgia and Alabama on March 2 through March 5. The trip will cost $225 for students and $325 for adults, and the cost includes the breakfast buffet at the Embassy Suites in Montgomery, Alabama, and a carry-on box lunch. The committee members include Pastor Ken Steigler, who will be one of the tour guides; James Grant, chairman of the celebration committee; Peggy Blake; Ann Clemons, the second tour guide; Margo Grant; and Lori Moss. They are now soliciting donations from local churches and organizations to provide sponsorships for the estimated 20 students from Wake Forest and Rolesville who will make the trip with five chaperones. People who want to know more about the trip can call Steigler at 978-979-8380 or James Grant at 973-580-2470. 2020

Once a decade, America comes together to count every resident in the United States, creating national awareness of the importance of the census and its valuable statistics. The decennial census was first taken in 1790, as mandated by the Constitution. It counts our population and households, providing the basis for reapportioning congressional seats, redistricting, and distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually to support states, counties and communities’ vital programs — impacting housing, education, transportation, employment, health care and public policy. The next census is coming in 2020. Counting an increasingly diverse and growing population is a massive undertaking. It requires years of planning and the support of thousands of people. Ultimately, the success of the census depends on everyone’s participation. The Census Bureau depends on cross-sector collaborations with organizations and individuals to get people to participate. The 2020 Census is important for you and your community, and you can help. By April 2020,

The Optimist Club of Wake Forest is proud to present their newest fundraiser – Funko Bunko, coming to Wake Forest at The Forks on Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 6 to 10 p.m.  Players are limited to 100 seats. The Optimist Club of Wake Forest is fundraising for the local youth in Wake Forest, and 100 percent of the money raised stays local to help the local youth in need. Funko Bunko is hosted and sponsored by The Forks. A great country dinner is available for purchase at The Forks. Please eat before playing begins. Tickets are $20 per person. Please reserve your seat and pay online through PayPal – WakeForestOptimistClub@gmail.com. Or, send a check (made payable to: Wake Forest Optimist Club) with a list of names to: PO Box 1992, Wake Forest, NC 27588. We are starting with teams of four. Prizes will be awarded to the “Most Wins”, “Most Bunko’s”, and “Most Losses”.

Mayor Vivian Jones will deliver her 2020 State of the Town Address on Monday, Feb. 17, at 6 p.m., during the 12th Annual State of the Town Address and Dinner. Presented by the Wake Forest Rotary Club, the event will take place at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre at 405 South Brooks Street. During her remarks, Mayor Jones will highlight the Town’s key accomplishments in 2019 and outline the goals Wake Forest will strive towards in 2020. All area residents are invited to attend. Tickets are $15 per person in advance and $20 on the day of the event and include a catered meal. However, the event is expected to sell out. Dress for the event is business casual. A limited number of tickets are available and can be purchased online with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit card at www.wakeforestnc.gov/communications/state-town<https://www.wakeforestnc.gov/communications/state-town>. Tickets may also be purchased at the Renaissance

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre will host a lively and educational celebration of gospel music that connects all cultures, ages and backgrounds on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at 5 p.m. The “Shades of Gospel” concert will highlight a range of traditional, southern and contemporary gospel music with featured performances by Grammy, Dove and Stellar Award-nominated artist Tim Bowman, Jr. and the Trinity Quartet. Tickets are $15 plus tax and may be purchased online at www.wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events<https://www.wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events> or at the Renaissance Centre Box Office, 405 S. Brooks St. Tim Bowman, Jr. started his music career in 2012 with the release of “Beautiful” by Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm Records. This album was his breakthrough release upon the Billboard Magazine Gospel Albums and Independent Albums charts. The song “He Will,” featuring Vickie Winans, his paternal aunt, charted on the Billboard Magazine Hot Gospel Songs chart. His critically acclaimed album “Listen” debuted at number one on Billboard

Updated January 22, 2020 Northern Wake Senior Center will open to its members and the public on Feb. 3, 2020. We are assured everyone will be thrilled by the new space and all the improvements. The reconstruction is adding 9,000 square feet plus renovations throughout the original center on East Holding Avenue. There will be a new entrance to the building, an expanded parking lot and a new parking lot entrance on the extension of Brooks Street which has finally connected Elm Avenue to East Holding. Among the new features will be an addition to the exercise room, a new roof and a new multipurpose room. Focus Design Builders won the $3.9 million contract – it is being paid through the bonds approved in 2014 – and the target date for completion was May 1, 2019. Focus Design won the contract because it promised to complete the work within 269

The Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the Family Expo for the second year, and it will take place Saturday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Richland Creek Community Church. Register by Jan. 31 and you will get $50 off booth prices over $300. There will be both indoor and outdoor booths available. If you become a sponsor you will get premium booth locations and additional marketing exposure. There will be an outdoor kid zone with bounce houses and other kid-friendly activities. Go to the chamber website to download the booth registration packet for the Family Expo. * * * * Current and aspiring entrepreneurs are invited to apply for “Launch Wake Forest.” Launch Wake Forest is aimed at entrepreneurs who have a great idea but are unsure where or how to begin, as well as those who are already in business and need to learn how