Briefs: Coats collected at stations
Winter coats are being collected from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Union and Ogilvie train stations in Chicago, which serve 90,000 suburban riders. Coats dropped off at the Citibank branch in the Ogilvie station at 500 W. Madison and in the Great Hall or the area next to tracks 6 and 8 in Union Station, 210 S. Canal St. will be given to residents of the Chicago Housing Authority and homeless shelters through the Heartland Alliance. Coats don't need to be new, but they should be in good condition. The collection effort was organized by Ken Nopar of Arlington Heights.
Meet Santa at post office
Santa and Frosty will be on hand at the Woodfield Station Post Office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today as postal officials demonstrate the latest postal service innovations to make holiday posting more convenient. The newly renovation Woodfield Station, at 651 Mall Drive in Schaumburg, was the first of its kind to open in the country with more customer-friendly amenities like WiFi access and a customer lounge.
How hugs improve lives
The Pavilion Senior Center will host a community awareness education forum on hugging for older adults on Tuesday. What effects do hugs have on you and others? Could hugs be used to improve relationships? Improve health? Heal emotional wounds? Create compassion and understanding? The forum will cover how to hug and why we hug. The program presented by Jan Christiansen will be at 1 p.m. and at 7 p.m. at the senior center, 199 N. First St., Wheeling. For information, contact Christiansen at (847) 459-2670.
Bears wives aim to help
The wives of Chicago Bears players Desmond Clark, Charles Tillman and John St. Clair will go on a charity shopping spree at the Rolling Meadows Sam's Club, 1470 Golf Road, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday. Denise Clark, Jackie Tillman and Shannon St. Clair, part of Off the Field, the NFL player's wives association, will pick an assortment of items, including clothes, food, household products and toys. These presents will be given to families enrolled in The Salvation Army's Adopt-a-Family-Program.
Randhurst hours extended
The Randhurst Shopping Center, 999 Elmhurst Road, Mount Prospect is open for extended hours and special events during the holiday season. The extended hours are: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays, Dec. 8 and 15; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 2 and 9; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Christmas Eve. Santa photos and visits are available through Christmas Eve; children's train rides through Dec. 31; and Salvation Army Angel Trees through Dec. 17.