The public is invited to join more than 300 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from central and coastal Maine participating in a special project to benefit people living in area communities.

The church’s women’s group, the Relief Society, is host to “Errand of Angels – Sisters in Service,” beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 28, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the corner of Essex Street and Grandview Avenue in Bangor.

The first event of its type, according to church spokeswoman Michelle Thomas, the event is a day of service projects to address specific needs in our communities.

The church invites the public to participate in one or more of many projects that will take place during the day.

For example, you can give blood, courtesy of the American Red Cross blood donor center.

Or, you could help make baby quilts for Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

Do you have old eyeglasses you no longer use? If so, stop by and donate them to an eyeglass collection.

Individuals will be assembling care kits for domestic violence victims, and memory boxes for families of pediatric deaths.

Knitted caps will be made for newborns, and children’s quilts will be made for police departments, to be used when they are taking care of children in emergency situations.

Jeanine Franson is coordinator of the event that hopes to attract even more than the church members already planning to attend.

According to Kathy Weinzinger of Bangor, one of those helping with the event, all the supplies will be provided, but anyone wanting to donate anything from fabric to toiletries for the kits, is welcome to bring those items.

However, Weinzinger stressed, “we don’t want people to think they have to bring anything to participate.”

A closing program is planned for 2:30 p.m., at which attendance is optional.

What is hoped is that everyone who wants to help, in any way, will feel free to attend.

For this project, “our goal is to get the community to come and to take part in serving others,” Thomas said, “and to move beyond always thinking of just ourselves and what is going on in our own lives. We want people to feel the joy of helping others.”

Thomas said arrangements have been made to distribute items to the appropriate organizations and agencies after the event.

“Each individual congregation is responsible for getting its project to where it is going,” she said.

“For example, we have contacts at the hospital where we often do the baby quilts, so we’ll be delivering those.”

If you have questions about participating in this special event, call Thomas at 942-7312.

Young friends Lee Blanchard Jack and Brett Stacey, both of Bangor, are among those organizing the 20th reunion for Bangor High School Class of 1981.

They are searching for classmates to be sure they don’t miss this special event, which begins at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 7, at the Bangor Civic Center, the site of their senior prom and banquet.

In addition to dining, dancing and reminiscing, the reunion will include a video presentation, and attendees, or even those unable to attend, are asked to submit a recent photograph of themselves or families.

A picnic lunch for alumni and their families is planned the day before the reunion from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 6, at Hayford Park on Union Street in Bangor.

But, first, is the business of finding all the members of BHS Class of ’81.

It is the hope of those planning this reunion that friends and relatives of BHS ’81 graduates will contact them to make sure they have received the class mailing regarding the reunion.

Anyone wanting to make contact with their class members can call Jack at 947-7166 or e-mail her at lmjbhs81@aol.com; or call Stacey at 947-6646 or e-mail him at bstacey@adelphia.net.

On behalf of Rape Response Services of Bangor and Dover-Foxcroft, executive director Kathy Walker invites members of the public to participate in its third annual “Take a Stand Against Sexual Assault” to mark the end of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Concurrent “Stands” begin at 6 p.m. Friday, April 27, at three sites: Cascade Park on State Street in Bangor, at the bandstand in the center of downtown Millinocket, and on the lawn of the Congregational church in Dover-Foxcroft.

The “Stands” will take place rain or shine.

For more information about these events, call RRS at 941-2980.

Breast cancer survivors in our area are encouraged to become a Reach to Recovery visitor.

The American Cancer Society’s Reach to Recovery program invites women who have experienced breast cancer to be matched with a newly diagnosed breast cancer victim, of which there are expected to be 900 in Maine this year.

A training class for breast cancer survivors interested in becoming a Reach to Recovery visitor is planned for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at Miller’s Restaurant on Main Street in Bangor.

Lunch will be provided.

Reach to Recovery helps breast cancer patients meet emotional, physical and cosmetic needs, complementing a woman’s relationship with her doctor by pointing out questions to ask and providing additional nonmedical information.

Reach to Recovery visitors can help newly diagnosed women learn what resources are available to them and serve as role models for those now dealing with the disease.

To learn more about Reach to Recovery, or to sign up for the Reach to Recovery visitor training, call Debbie Seybold at the ACS, (800)-44-3102 or Doug Dieckmann, 532-5622.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.