Faith in Action Community Connection, based in Ellsworth, is a program for residents of Hancock County that provides one-on-one, volunteer assistance to help the elderly and disabled “live their lives to the fullest capacity,” according to its mission statement.

Among the services provided are transportation, home visits, yard work, snow shoveling, telephone reassurance, meal preparation, shopping and simple home repairs.

The nonprofit program is a coalition of 24 agencies that include churches, communities, nonprofit organizations and local and regional agencies.

Program director Jo Cooper reports that Faith in Action Community Connection is seeking volunteers throughout its services area, but especially needs volunteers to help others in Sullivan, Gouldsboro, Winter Harbor and downtown Ellsworth.

Many of the requests for assistance take the form of rides and visits, and the program also needs people who are handy with tools.

The group is hosting an orientation for new volunteers at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, in the Riverview Room of Ellsworth Public Library.

If you are looking for a way to help your Hancock County neighbors, and want more information about this program, call Cooper at 664-6016 or attend Wednesday’s meeting.

Richard “Skip” Young of Glenburn, coordinator for the local Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program, has provided the list of drop-off box sites in our area.

Any new, unwrapped toy can be left at the following Bangor locations: Marine Corps Recruiting Station, Hogan Road; K-Mart, Hogan Road; Best Buy, 45 Bangor Mall Blvd.; KB Toys, Bangor Mall; University College of Bangor, Eastport Hall; Maine Air National Guard base; Ophelia’s, Union Street; Pella Windows & Doors; 532 Main St.; or the Dollar Tree, Airport Mall.

New toys also can be left in Brewer at the Dollar Tree on State Street or Marden’s on Wilson Street; in Orono at the Dollar Tree at University Mall or the Community Building on Indian Island.

For further information about Toys for Tots or drop-off points, call Young at 945-6556.

Pat Mackintosh reports Bangor Art Society is preparing for its second fund-raiser auction, which will be held 6-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, at Union Street Brick Church in Bangor.

I’ll have more information for attendees later.

Now, however, Mackintosh wants area artists to know they are invited to contribute original works, in any medium, to the auction.

Proceeds will benefit the society’s many programs. But, because BAS believes individual artists also need support, contributing artists can retain up to 50 percent of the auction selling price.

Interested artists can call 884-8670, 943-7471 or 659-0063 for more information.

Jane Rather Thiebaud of Winter Harbor believes it would be helpful for readers to know about language group gatherings that are being hosted at Borders, 116 Bangor Mall Boulevard in Bangor.

Thiebaud is a member of Le Rendez-Vous, which she describes as “an informal, bimonthly gathering for conversation and friendship, in French, which was founded in downtown Bangor in 1987.”

That group meets at 5:30 p.m. the first and third Wednesdays of each month, which means the next meeting of Le Rendez-Vous is 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, at Borders in Bangor.

Thiebaud also wants readers to know that a variety of other language groups and gatherings are available to the public at Borders, from children’s events to music events and artist receptions.

For information about meeting times and dates for any of these groups or events, call Gibran Graham at Borders at 990-3300.

Borders is open 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.

Preview night for the Hampden Historical Society’s annual Christmas Fair Extraordinaire is 5-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19, at 83 Main Road South in Hampden.

The Christmas fair itself is 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20. There is no charge for admission.

Admission for preview night only is $2 per person and, Janice Von Brook reports, that includes an elegant dessert, hot spiced cider, a chance to win a door prize and the opportunity to do some early holiday shopping.

Fancywork, holiday decorations, baked goods, antiques, arts and crafts and gourmet-to-go-lunches are available.

My Bangor Daily News colleague, Ardeana Hamlin, author of “Pink Chimneys,” will be available from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday to sign copies of her new book, “A Dream of Paris.”

On both days, visitors will be able to enjoy docent-led tours of the Kinsley House and learn not only the history of the house, but also that of the town.

For more information about this event, or the HHS, call Von Brook at 862-4030.

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