Community Services

New York City – October 21, 2026 -- Older adults in the U.S. can take free live tech classes on Zoom every week through Senior Planet, the flagship program of OATS from AARP. They can also visit one of four physical centers or a licensed partner site.

Free Zoom classes cover stretching, banking and telemedicine

SeniorPlanet.org lists a range of virtual classes each week, taught live by Senior Planet expert trainers. Topics include morning stretch and meditation sessions, online banking, telemedicine, and demos of new and emerging technology. Discussion groups are also on the schedule, built to encourage conversation and lasting friendships.

Irvine – October 20, 2026 -- Radiant Health Centers offers LGBTQ+ case management services that connect underrepresented members of the Irvine community with the resources they need to improve their long-term health.

Managing your health takes more than booking a doctor's appointment. According to the clinic, a range of factors can make it hard for patients to get treatment, keep up with appointments and find long-term support. Case managers step in to coordinate appointments, connect patients with support and provide guidance.

Case managers simplify insurance and provider searches

Understanding insurance policies, locating inclusive providers, scheduling appointments and knowing where to turn for support can overwhelm anyone. Case managers offer personalized help, from connecting patients with affirming healthcare to explaining the services and resources available.

Orange County – October 20, 2026 -- Radiant Health Centers is running community health education programs across Orange County that cover nutrition, reproductive health, HIV and STI prevention, and chronic disease management. The programs are open to people of all backgrounds, including the LGBTQ+ community.

Programs teach patients to evaluate online health information

Health information is easy to find online, but patients may not know how to judge it or apply it to their own situation. The clinic's education programs cover risk factors for certain conditions, ways to prevent illness, symptoms of common diseases and available treatment options.

Daily habits are part of the curriculum

Sessions address nutrition, physical activity, sleep and stress management. The aim is to help patients see how these factors connect and to build practical habits that affect both physical and mental well-being.

Orange County – October 20, 2026 -- You don't need to wait for a crisis to see a counselor. Radiant Health Centers, an LGBTQ+ clinic in Orange County, outlines four everyday situations in which mental health counseling can help.

Constant stress can wear down mind and body

Stress can improve focus and push you to act, but when it becomes constant it can affect your mental, physical and emotional health. Feeling always overwhelmed, constantly on edge, unable to relax or stuck in survival mode are the warning signs the clinic lists. A counselor helps identify the cause of the stress and offers practical tips for managing it.

Sterling, Ill. – October 19, 2026 -- A 40-year barber from Maryland has won the fifth Wahl Benevolent Beards Contest, taking home $5,000 for himself and $20,000 for his charity, and he will be honored at a free beard grooming event before the Baltimore Ravens game on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026.

Robert Cradle of Odenton, MD, founded Rob's Barbershop Community Foundation (RBCF). The charity brings grooming services, hygiene products and barber training to underserved communities. Wahl will park its Mobile Barbershop on RavensWalk from 9 a.m. to noon EST for the event.

New York – October 16, 2026 -- Anyone can now join the global blood stem cell donor registry from home: Gabriel & Co. has opened a digital donor drive that mails a cheek swab kit to supporters, as the jewelry brand marks 10 years of partnership with the blood cancer nonprofit DKMS.

Register with a cheek swab at home

The digital drive extends beyond Gabriel & Co.'s own team. Supporters sign up through a dedicated online link, receive the swab kit by mail and complete it at home. The company says the goal is to make donor registration accessible to its community and beyond.

The stakes are concrete. For many people with blood cancer or other blood disorders, a blood stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor can be a critical treatment option. Because patients often depend on a matching donor outside their family, a larger registry can improve their chances of finding a match.

Belleville – October 16, 2026 -- Third, fourth and fifth graders in Illinois American Water's service area can submit artwork to the "Water Keeps Life Flowing" contest through Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, with up to 10 winners earning classroom prize packs worth roughly $100.

Entries open Oct. 16 and close Nov. 13

Students are asked to capture what high-quality water service means to them. Submissions opened Oct. 16, 2026, one day after the U.S. Water Alliance's Imagine a Day Without Water observance on Oct. 15.

Brian Eisenloeffel, President of Illinois American Water, said the annual contest brings art and science together. He listed drinking, cooking, gardening, public health, local businesses and firefighting among the everyday uses of water.

Dallas – October 16, 2026 -- The 21st annual Sam's Night raised $1.7 million, based on preliminary totals at press time, for Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), and donations are still open at SamsNight.org. The Killian family of Rockwall, Texas, hosted the fundraiser on Thursday, October 15, at Victory Social.

Sam's Night has raised more than $10 million since it began

The event started more than two decades ago as Sam's Family Fun Day. It has grown alongside Sam Killian, now 24, who was diagnosed with Duchenne in 2005. Today it is an evening fundraiser that draws the Killians' friends, family, colleagues, and supporters.

The money supports PPMD's work on research, care, advocacy, and access to therapies. PPMD describes itself as the leading U.S. nonprofit driving Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy care, research, and advocacy.

Frederick, Md. – October 15, 2026 -- Frederick County parents of neurodivergent children now have a new link to specialized tutoring: the Parent Resource Center and LINKZ have partnered to connect local families with educational resources and support.

Downtown hub meets specialized tutoring

The Parent Resource Center, located in downtown Frederick, serves as a hub for parents of neurodivergent learners. It connects families with community partners, resources, events and support.

LINKZ offers personalized educational services. These include specialized tutoring for students with learning differences, dyslexia and ADHD, plus executive functioning support and other academic services.

Plano, Texas – October 15, 2026 -- Two nonprofit leaders who open up youth sports to more girls and kids received $25,000 grants each from Toyota at the 2026 espnW: Women + Sports Summit in Ojai, California. Markeshia Grant of EPIC for Girls and Rhiannon Potkey of Goods4Greatness are the 11th class of Toyota Everyday Heroes.

The Heroes were surprised on stage. Tiffany Shido, general manager of brand at Toyota Motor North America, presented the honors alongside espnW emcee and Toyota Ambassador Jess Sims. Shido said the pair are expanding access to sports and removing barriers to participation.

EPIC for Girls builds up the people who serve girls in sports

Grant is Executive Director of EPIC for Girls, a capacity-building nonprofit based in Omaha, Nebraska. EPIC strengthens the organizations, coaches and systems that serve girls. It gives those groups resources, relationships and support to widen access to quality sports and youth development.