The briefs

Church hosts drive for New Orleans

Members of Immanuel Lutheran Church in East Dundee need help gathering much needed items for their Gulf Coast mission trip to New Orleans.

On Jan. 11, 20 members and friends of Immanuel are traveling to New Orleans to help rebuild homes located in New Orleans' Ninth Ward.

The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank is serving as many as 7,500 each day and needs the following items: dry cereal and breakfast food, canned meats, canned fruit and canned vegetables, hearty canned soups, dry beans/pasta, personal hygiene products and cleaning supplies.

People can drop off donated items on Jan. 5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 310 E. Main St. in East Dundee. Drive-through drop-off points will be marked so that contributors need not exit their cars. On Jan. 6, drop-offs will be located on the east side of Immanuel's School building from 9 to 10 a.m. and again from noon to 1 p.m. Volunteers will be available to take the food donations from your car.

For information, call the church office at (847) 428-4477. For details on the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, visit www.brfoodbank.org.

Registration to start at Noah's Ark

Noah's Ark Christian Preschool will begin registering for the 2008-09 school year in January.

Classes are offered for children ages 2-6 and new this year is an extended-day kindergarten. Preschool classes are held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and the kindergarten class will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The school includes Language Stars (foreign language), Jolly Phonics, Handwriting without Tears and the Music 4 Living program in their curriculum.

Noah's Ark is at 98 Algonquin Road, at the intersection of Route 59 and Algonquin Road.

For more information or to schedule a tour, call (847) 844-3738. You can visit the Web site at www.barringtonumc.com.