Community Events

• The historic Blunt House is open for tours every Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by request other days. The Blunt House, completed in 1848, is the second oldest house as well as the first two-story wooden house built in Dalton. It was the home of Ainsworth Emery Blunt, the first mayor of Dalton elected in 1847, the first postmaster, one of the founders of the First Presbyterian Church and a crucial player in the 1851 formation of Whitfield County. The home is at 506 S. Thornton Ave.

• The Emery Center, an African-American heritage and cultural center, is open for tours on Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. Tours can be booked by appointment on other days of the week. The center is at 110 W. Emery St. Call the Emery Center at (706) 277-7633 or (706) 280-7695 for reservations.

• Duplicate bridge play is Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and the first and third Thursdays of each month at noon at the Dalton-Whitfield Senior Center. For more information, call Richard Bolles at (706) 226-2154.

• The Chatsworth Chess Club meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month from 6 to 9 p.m. at PK Grill & Bakery, 3503 Highway 411 N. in Chatsworth. The club serves all of North Georgia, and the public is welcome from beginners to grandmasters. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/chatsworthchessclub or email chatsworthchessclub@gmail.com.

• Breastfeeding support is available at La Leche League meetings, held the second Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m. at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 623 S. Thornton Ave. La Leche League Leaders are trained breastfeeding counselors and can be reached at lalecheleaguedalton@gmail.com and on Facebook on the La Leche League of Dalton page.

• A Parent Support Group hosted by Anna Shaw Children’s Institute (ASCI) meets at 11 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month in the Southern Magnolia room on the lower level of the facility (1201 Burleyson Road). ASCI follows social distancing and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and safety guidelines. Snacks are provided. Please RSVP by calling (706) 226-8911.

• Hamilton Hospice holds a grief and bereavement group every fourth Thursday of the month from noon to 1 p.m. at the Dalton-Whitfield County Library, 310 Cappes St.

• A caregiver support group hosted by Haley Stacey (a licensed master social worker) of Heartlite Hospice in Dalton meets the second Tuesday of each month from 10 to 11 a.m. The group is open to any and all caregivers in need of support and stress relief. The host also offers educational materials related to providing care for a loved one. To ease stress, this group gives members a safe space to talk, ask questions, vent and simply be heard. Currently this group is 100% virtual as attendance has been limited. If there are enough people wanting to attend, the group setting will change to meet in person and will accommodate attendee's schedules accordingly to meet the needs of the group. Location is to be determined. If you'd like to attend virtually at this time through Google Teams meeting or if you have any questions, call the Heartlite Hospice office at (706) 272-1035 or email Haley.Stacey@lhcgroup.com for the link and the conference number.

• A grief support group hosted by Scott Smith by Heartlite Hospice of Dalton meets the last Tuesday of each month from 1 to 2 p.m. If you'd like to attend this group virtually at this time through our Google Teams meeting or if you have any general questions, call the Heartlite Hospice office at (706) 272-1035 or email Haley.Stacey@lhcgroup.com for the link and the conference number.

• Are you living with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, depression or any other chronic health condition? Want to overcome the issues you face and take charge of your life? The Northwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging is making it possible for you to join its Living Well with Chronic Conditions workshop from the safety of your home. If you don’t have a computer or internet, both can be provided for you during the workshop at no cost. The six-week program meets for two hours once a week. Participants receive a reference book and though there is no charge, registration is required. For more information, call Rogena Walden at (706) 295-6485.

• The Northwest Georgia Breast Cancer Support Group meets the first Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Peeples Cancer Institute conference room. If you have questions, call (706) 226-8966.

• RossWoods Adult Day Services, at 1402 Walston Ave., hosts a caregiver support group meeting on the second Tuesday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. The monthly meetings are for anyone in the community to attend to receive more support on how to care for their loved one with dementia and take care of themselves as well. Caregivers often suffer from burnout and fatigue in caring for their loved one. This support group offers helpful suggestions, coping skills and emotional support. For more information, call Kim Moore at (706) 270-9628.

• The food pantry at Five Springs United Methodist Church (2823 Five Springs Road) is open on the first and third Tuesdays of each month from 9 to 10 a.m. serving in the fellowship hall.

• The Varnell United Methodist Church food pantry holds a drive-thru food giveaway every first and third Wednesday of the month from 9:30 a.m. until noon.

Free tax help

• The AARP Foundation, along with locally trained volunteers, is offering free in-person tax assistance through its Tax-Aide program. You can make appointments now at https://tinyurl.com/tax-aidelibrary (at the Dalton-Whitfield County Public Library for Tuesday and Friday appointments through April 14; call (706) 620-0203 for an appointment.) and at https://tiny.one/tax-aidegaston (at the Mack Gaston Community Center for Saturday appointments April 15; call (706) 397-7053 for an appointment). Appointments can be made for in-person tax preparation which requires a one-time appointment of approximately one hour. Taxpayers should stop by the library or the community center to pick up a packet of forms needed to complete their tax return. AARP provides free personal income tax counseling and tax preparation for middle- to low-income taxpayers with special attention to those 50 years of age and older.