Central Carolina, VA Columbia office holding information and signup event for veterans' services

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The Veterans Upward Bound Program at Central Carolina Technical College and Veterans Affairs Columbia office will host a Veteran Experience Action Center on the main college campus on Friday, May 17, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Veterans, caretakers and survivors from Clarendon, Sumter and Lee counties and the surrounding area can find information they may need at the event and sign up for services on the same day. You can get help with VA disability compensation and pension claims filing; veteran and widow benefits; veteran readiness and employment benefits; VHA health care benefits and on-site enrollment; VA National Cemetery Administration memorial benefits; mental health counseling resources; and homeless, low-income housing and vocational support services. Visitors can also see the VA Mobile Vet Center, speak with a Columbia VAHCS environmental health coordinator and browse vendors and services from community partners. The campus is at 506 N. Guignard Drive, Sumter.

A National Service Day event will be held to honor and recognize senior Kappas, Vietnam War-era veterans and senior citizens with a drive-through luncheon at Sumter Senior Services, 119 S. Sumter St., on Saturday, May 18, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. or until the food runs out. The luncheon will be hosted by Bishopville/Manning/Shaw AFB Alumni Chapter Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. Bert Kenlay is Senior Kappa Affairs chairman. The menu will be hotdogs with chili, chips, sodas and water. COVID-19 guidelines will be followed.

Wateree Community Actions Inc. Head Start and Early Head Start programs serving low-income, disabled, homeless and foster children birth to 5 years old in Clarendon, Lee, Kershaw and Sumter counties is accepting applications for enrollment in Head Start and Early Head Start for the 2024-25 school year. Persons interested in enrolling their children should contact the Head Start Center serving their area of residence, call the administrative office of Watereee CAA Head Start Program at (803) 774-8520 or Early Head Start at (803) 440-8569 or apply online by clicking on the Head Start icon at www.wcai.org. Wateree Community Actions Inc. Head Start and Early Head Start Programs comply with the U.S. Department of Agriculture mandate that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, age, disability or national origin. Transportation services are provided for children enrolled in the Head Start Program. Transportation services are not provided for Early Head Start.

The City of Sumter will hold its next community cleanup on Saturday, June 15, with everyone welcome to pitch in to beautify the city they live in. The remaining scheduled cleanup days for this year are on Saturdays: June 15, Aug. 17, Oct. 19 and Dec. 14. The city will provide supplies for volunteers and pick up the bags after the events. Fill out a volunteer form at https://tinyurl.com/fmxkavkp.

Sumter Senior Services will host a yard sale at 119 S. Sumter St. on Saturday, June 1, from 8 a.m. to noon. Come find your treasure in a little bit of everything from knickknacks, clothing, kitchen utensils, kitchenware, decorations, shoes, brand new items and slightly used items. Please contact Tamyra Walker Johnson or Gail Wilson at (803) 773-5508 if you would like to participate. Space is limited. The fee to rent a space is available for $10 (if you bring your own table) or $20 per table and space rental. All proceeds will benefit Sumter Senior Services Home-Delivered Meals and other senior programs.

The Sumter County Recreation Department offers after-school enrichment programs for ages 5-12 from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday for a session fee of $100 per participant at the following locations: Catchall-Shaw Community Center, Cherryvale Community Center, DeLaine Community Center, Eastern Community Center, Ebenezer Community Center, Rembert/Rafting Creek Community Center, Salterstown Community Center. Call (803) 436-2248 for information. Session II will be held until May 22, 2024.

If you have any used bicycles you no longer want, donate them to be fixed up and given to children and Christmas by dropping them off at any Sumter fire station in the city and county all year 'round. Palmetto Optimist Club is accepting the bicycles, in partnership with the Sumter Evening Optimist Club.