Community Announcements / Ongoing Events:

Academic Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (AFICE) is looking for individuals to work as Community Representatives, who will find host families for international students and will work with them and their families. Call Anne Ring, 866.462.3423.Adapted Gentle Restoratives for Seniors, yoga classes for seniors with Bea Ammidown, 310.358.3558.Ammidown Yoga Studio Santa Monica is offering therapeutic special needs classes for all levels; Wednesdays, 7-8pm, Thursdays, 10-11am, Fridays 10:30-11:30am & (Writing Workshop continuing until 12.45pm) & Saturdays 9:30-10:30am. Please call Bea to register, 310. 358.3558, beayoga888@verizon.net; www.yogability.org. The American Red Cross is looking for volunteers. Various positions are available. To volunteer, call Tom Viscount at 310.394.3773 x112 from 1-5 pm, Monday-Thursday. Ananda LA offers free Thursday Night Lectures, every other Thursday at 7:30pm, anandala.org. Art Experience Group Expanding the Limits meets weekly. Participants don’t have to be practicing artists but only need be open to a most daring examination of themselves through a visual experience. The groups meets 3-4:30pm, Wednesdays, at 502 Rialto Ave., Venice. Cost: $320 a month. Call 310.450.6685.Baha’i Center in Santa Monica is located at 3102 Colorado Avenue, 310.394.7971 or go to santamonicabahai.org.Ballroom by the Bay, every Wednesday beginning March 4, Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club, 1210 4th Street, 7:30-11pm, admission: $10, info: 310.487.0911.Beyond Baroque offers free writing workshops including Monday night Literary and Experimental Fiction, 8pm, Tuesday night Creative Non-Fiction, 8pm, Wednesday night poetry, 8pm, Thursday night alt screenplay, 8pm, Saturday afternoon poetry 1:30pm, and 4th Saturday of the month morning poetry and prose 11am. Beyond Baroque Literary / Arts Center, 681 Venice Blvd., Venice, 310.822.3006. Carnevale! Venice Beach will be celebrating its 7th year on June 6 at Windward Ave. and Venice Beach. Now artists everywhere will have the chance to win the prestigious Venice Carnevale Poster Contest and have their artistic vision be the face of 2009 Carnevale! Venice Beach. For submission guidelines go to carnevale.us.Do You Have the Heart for Hospice? Roze Room Hospice seeks volunteers to provide support and companionship to terminally ill patients and their families. Training is free. We have patients at home and in nursing facilities in throughout the Westside and Los Angeles. For more information, contact Kathleen McMahon, Volunteer Coordinator, at 323.938.1155 or volcoord@rozeroomhospice.org.Donate blood on Monday and Wednesdays at the American Red Cross of Santa Monica, 1450 11th St. Hours for donations vary, so call to schedule an appointment. 1.800.GIVE.LIFE or 1.888.POR.FAVOR.Food Addicts Anonymous has free meetings every Saturday from 11:30am-12:30pm at the Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, 6700 W. 83rd St., Westchester. There are no dues or fees, just the desire to abstain from the foods we crave. foodaddictsanonymous.org. Free help with anxiety, depression, stress, and anger is provided by Recovery International. This worldwide non-profit organization, founded in 1937, holds weekly meetings every Saturday, 10:30am., at Trinity Church, California & 11th St. Free, but contributions welcomed. For more information, call 310.476.1741. Forget your troubles with Free Salsa Dancing Nights after 9pm!!! Salsa Wednesdays at Club Main, 2941 Main St, also Salsa fun fiestas Fridays, & Sundays at Isabelle’s Dance Club Atmosphere Academy at 1334 Lincoln Blvd. Salsa Lessons available at both locations at 7:30pm for Beg & Intermediates with Isabelle and/or Ricky. $15.00 for a 90-minute class. For details isabellesalsa.com, 310.392.3493.The Gardenerd Organic Gardening Series is here! New classes include The Basics 2-Small Space and Container Gardening, April 25, 3-5pm, $40,The Basics 3-Seed Starting, Transplants and Heirlooms, May 2, 3-5pm, $40, and The Basics 4- Pruning, Tools and Tool Care, May 9, 3-5pm, $40, gardenerd.com.Gardening Workshops are being offered now at UCLA Extension. Classes include General Botany for Gardeners, March 31-June 16, Garden Design for Southern California Homes, April 1-June 3, Gardening Practices and Techniques, April 2-June 4, and Sustainable Gardens, April 13-May 4. For more information, call 310.825.7093. Green Living Workshop, six-week course, begins April 13, The Green Life, 2409 Main St., also April 21, SMASH/John Muir School Media Center, 2525 5th St., April 22, Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd, and April 26, Sustainable Works, 1744 Pearl St., 7-8:30pm except for Sustainable Works, 1-2:30pm, donation, sustainableworks.org. The Los Angeles City Commission on the Status of Women is collecting women’s clothing to distribute to those in-need residing in the Venice, Mar Vista and Del Rey communities. Clothes must be clean. All sizes are welcome. Please drop off clothes by Tuesday, May 5. Local drop-off locations include West LA Civic Center, 1645 Corinth Avenue, Room 201, LA, and Westchester Municipal Building, 7166 W. Manchester Boulevard, Westchester. For more information call 213.978.0300.The Marshall McLuhan-Finnegans Wake Reading Club meets first Tuesdays from 6-8pm at the Lloyd Taber-Marina Del Rey Library, 4533 Admiralty Way, MDR, 310.306.7330 or venicewake.org.Meals on Wheels West needs volunteers to deliver meals to homebound people in Santa Monica. Deliveries are from 11am-1pm, Mondays-Fridays. To volunteer call 310.394.7558.Musicians invited to meet weekly and perform in concert with the Brentwood-Westwood Symphony Orchestra, Tuesdays, 6:30pm, bandroom, Paul Revere Middle School, 1450 Allenford Ave., Brentwood, 310.829.3149.Open Poetry and Prose Readings, every Thursday, 8-10pm, Novel Café, 212 Pier Ave. Come Read, Listen, and Enjoy! Everyone welcome, all genres (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, etc). 1000 word max per reader. Hosted by Forth Magazine. Forthmagazine.com. Relaxation Study: Relieve Stress, Tension, and Anxiety. Participate for free relaxation therapy in Santa Monica.Call Grant: 310.399.8982.Relaxation & Visualization for Cancer Patients & Family, intended to help improve the quality of life for people with cancer and their loved ones. Every Wednesday, 6:15-7pm, The Wellness Community_West LA, 2716 Ocean Park Blvd., Boulevard, Ste. 1040.SMC’s Continuing Education Program is offering free ESL and Citizenship classes, 1-4pm Wednesdays, at SMC’s Bundy campus, 3171 S. Bundy Dr., WLA, and at the Madison campus, 1310 11th St., 310.434.3400.Soroptimist is a service organization available to help women and children. Meetings are held the first and third Wednesday of each month, 310.395.6168. Stay Fit in the New Year! Flow Yoga Wednesdays 5:30 -6:30pm, Flow Yoga Saturdays noon-1pm. Classes are ongoing. Drop-ins welcome. Classes are taught by Sarah Bergman, a Certified Yoga Instructor known for her life-affirming teaching style. Suggested donation: $5 per class. Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, 1343 Ocean Park Blvd., 310.452.1116. Swing Brazil Kids is a one hour class designed to build confidence and self-esteem through the magic and creativity of Brazilian dance – movement, story telling, songs and drums. The class is taught by cultural educator Vida Vierra, Artistic Director of Swing Brazil Dance Company. Mondays from 3:30-4:30pm at the Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice. Class fee is $10. 310.828.1489.Take a walk through Santa Monica history! The Santa Monica Conservancy conducts downtown walking tours every Saturday at 10am. Tickets are $5 for Conservancy members, $10 for non-members. For reservations, call 310.496.3146 or go to smconservancy.org.Wordsmith Creative Writing Workshop begins May 21, $295 for eight weeks, 7-9:30pm, once a week in Venice. Seating is limited. Fee nonrefundable. If you would like to reserve a place please contact lisa @ barringtoneditorial.com. Yappy Hour, ongoing social event, every Thursday dogs and people can meet and greet each other, 6-8pm, free, Tails of Santa Monica, 2912 Main St., 310.392.4300.Yoga Prose™, a therapeutic journaling process in a gentle and empowering Yoga class, 10:30am-12:45pm. Beginners & non-writers welcome. Facilitated by certified Yoga therapist/journalist Bea Ammidown. Santa Monica Studio. 310.358.3338, beayoga888@verizon.net www.yogability.org.