Donate a dollar for warmth

Donate a dollar a week to keep someone warm.

The WARM Center in Westerly has launched its Dollar Makes a Difference campaign to assist those in need with heating bills. Businesses, faith communities, city workers, organizations and individuals are asked to donate one dollar a week now until March 1 to be used for a heating-subsidy fund for Westerly community and shelter residents.

Donations may be made online at www.warmshelter.org , mailed or dropped off or mailed to the WARM Center, 56 Spruce St., Westerly, R.I. 02891.

Service for reproductive diseases

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Department of Medicine at Women & Infants Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, as well as the Division of Infectious Diseases of the Department of Medicine at Brown, have introduced a new Reproductive Infectious Diseases Consultation Service. This service will provide infectious-disease expertise from physicians with special training and competence in diagnosing and treating infectious complications in women.

Dr. Brenna Anderson, MSc, director of the Reproductive Infectious Diseases Consultation Service, is assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the Alpert Medical School. She has completed fellowships in both maternal-fetal medicine and reproductive infectious diseases and is board certified.

For more information, contact the Reproductive Infectious Diseases Consultation Service at (401) 274-1122, ext. 2358.

Learning help for disabled children

Sargent Rehabilitation Center will hold its “Link to Learning” free workshop series for parents of children with disabilities starting Oct. 22 and running through April 2010. All sessions are held on Thursdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Center, 800 Quaker Lane, Warwick.

The first workshop will be “The Brain that Changes Itself: Research Supported Brain Training Treatment for Problems with Attention, Anxiety, Mood, Learning and Behavior.” Presenter is Laurence M. Hirshberg, PhD, psychologist, the NeuroDevelopment Center, Providence, and clinical assistant professor, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

Other topics in the series include:

Nov. 19 — “Managing the Medication Needs of Children,” presented by Dr. Daniel Marwil, MD.; Jan. 14, — “Advocating for Appropriate Education Today: A Look at IDEA, Section 504, NCLB and Basic Student Rights,” presented by David A. Kane, JD; Feb. 25 — “The Importance of Sleep to the Developing Brain,” presented by Dr. Judith Owens; March 11 — “Childhood Feeding Problems,” presented by Debra Lobato, PhD, Beth Pinkos, MS, RD, and Patti Gricus, MS OTR; and April 15 — “Red Flags & Resources for Challenges in Child Development,” presented by Kathleen Schlenz, MS, OTR/L.

Parents should register on the Center’s Link Line at (401) 886-6612 inasmuch as seating is limited.

Sargent Center’s Link to Learning series has been made possible thanks to grant support from the Roy T. Morgan Foundation and the City of Warwick.

Library offers free programs

The North Providence Union Free Library, 1810 Mineral Spring Ave., is offering the following free programs: Looking for a place to play Scrabble? Then join the group that meets at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. All interested adults are invited, no matter what level of play.

“How to Avoid a Renovation Horror,” a two-session program presented by Sam Brusco of Brusco Design & Renovation, will be held Nov. 7 and 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Learn how to spot bad contractors, how to find reliable professionals and what happens during a renovation.

To register, call (401) 353-5600, ext. 5.

Butler meantal-health screenings

In an effort to help raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of most psychiatric illness, Butler Hospital has enhanced its online mental-health screenings. This Web-based tool enables anyone to go online, at any time, from anywhere, and take anonymous self-assessments for depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.

These free screenings, available on Butler’s Web site at butler.org, give people the chance to learn, in the comfort of their own home, whether they would benefit from seeking help. The enhanced screening features also provide customized referral information and resources on how and where to get help.

More information on Butler Hospital and its services can be obtained by calling (401) 455-6265, or by visiting www.butler.org.