Around Windham: Practicing gratitude and giving back to the Windham community

Hello Windham Family! November is National Gratitude Month. Gratitude is an active process of acknowledging goodness and recognizing its source. There is so much to be grateful for in Windham. Gratitude enhances our moods, decreases stress and drastically improves our overall level of health and well-being. November is truly a time of giving thanks, and in the spirit of the Thanksgiving season, we want to reflect on the gratitude we can express toward those involved in our lives. Here is some information about events this month including ways to give back for the Thanksgiving season:

Windham Student Food Pantry Fundraiser Thanksgiving Plunge

Benefits: Windham Student Food Pantry
When: 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 27
Where: B. Ranch – 3327 Work Road, Shalersville

You can help by donating money or being part of the team taking the plunge. Make checks to Windham Exempted Village Schools with “Food Pantry” in the memo field. Cash? Drop off at the board office. See Cali Apthorpe, caliapthorpe@gmail.com, or Crystal Hickman, chickman@widham-schools.org with questions. Thank you to Star Therapy & Sales Corp. for sponsoring our team.

Presented by Mantua Christian Church & Kids Weekend Meals.

PTO Pie Fundraiser Thanksgiving Drive by Harley Smithley

From Harley Smitley: “With the upcoming holiday and people not knowing if they will be able to have a meal, I have decided to do another Thanksgiving food drive for Windham residents. I will be taking donations for food items from the list below. The pickup date and time for the families in need will be on at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24 at our local police department. If you would like to donate, send me a message on Facebook. If you are a Windham resident and need some help, reach out to me as well. I am not sure how many families we will be able to help, so it will be up in the air until we see how many meals we can put together with donations. Due to other items being perishable, I cannot accept items outside of this list. If you donate potatoes, do it closer to the 24th so they don’t go bad. Anyone donating money, I will give a receipt for both of our records. Thank you in advance. Now let’s help feed our community.”

Food items needed: Frozen turkeys, frozen dinner rolls, canned corn, canned green beans, potatoes, gravy packets, boxed stuffing, frozen pies, boxes of stick butter.

Renaissance In Lights Annual Christmas Dinner & Auction Fundraiser

Mark your calendar, The RFC Annual Dinner/Auction Fundraiser will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5. Tickets are $25 per person and will be available in the RFC office for purchase soon. Great items to bid on and win. Live auction, 50/50 raffle, basket raffle. It will be a fun evening so plan on being there.

Windham Historical Society’s new Street Clock

The Windham Historical Society intends to leave behind another piece of its history by funding a project with money from a state grant to have an 11×24 green street clock built and erected on Windham Town Hall’s lawn near the Gazebo at 9011 N. Main St.

Pickleball at the RFC

Come play Pickleball at the Renaissance Family Center. If you are 55 and over and want to have some fun, come out on Tuesday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon. Come try it out, it is for all experience levels. Great fun, and even a bit of exercise.

Chess Club at the RFC

Chess Club for students in grades four through 12, every Wednesday from 4 to 5 p.m. at RFC until Nov. 26. Learn the game, or perfect your game. Sign up by calling the RFC office at 330-326-3003.

Calvary Chapel Silver Creek Thanksgiving Meal

You’re invited to a free Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, Nov. 27 in the RFC hosted by Calvary Chapel Silver Creek. Feel free to dine with us, take home or we will deliver to your home. Deliveries will be after 4 p.m. Call or text with your name, number, address and number of meals needed to 234-218-2772.

Hope Town Recovery Community Center Grand Opening

The Hope Town grand opening of our new Recovery Community Center, a welcoming space for connection, resources, and hope, was held on Nov. 14 at the center, 9621 E. Center St., Windham. Light lunch was provided prior to the ribbon cutting, along with guided tours of the new space. Information on services, recovery support, and upcoming programs was provided for community members, families, faith partners, service providers, employers, and anyone who cares about recovery resources in Portage County.

Windham Village Playground Closure

Community alert: The Village of Windham Park Playground is closed until Spring 2026 (or until further notice) due to safety concerns. The safety of our children and families is our top priority. We understand how disappointing this news is, but necessary updates and repairs must be completed before we can safely reopen this area to the public. Please note: This closure only applies to the playground. The ballfields remain open.

We are truly saddened to share this and apologize for the inconvenience, but we know this is the best decision for our community at this time. Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Stay safe, Windham — and as always, Go Bombers!

Village of Windham Updates:

The Village of Windham can now email your water bill directly to you. Go paperless and never miss a bill again — it’s quick, easy, and convenient. To sign up contact the Utility Department at 330-326-2622.

Street Department Leaf Pick-Up: Monday – Friday until snowfall for village residents. Place leaves in brown paper bags, construction-like bags, and leave at the curb of residence. Stack branches neatly by the curb bundled less than 4 feet in length.

The Village of Windham offices will be closed Nov. 27 and 28 in observance of Thanksgiving.

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I look forward to keeping our Windham community up to date with all the information I receive. Please contact me with anything you may like featured for the end of December/beginning of January. The Around Windham column runs on the third Friday of each month, and I will need all the information the week prior. You may contact me via text/call at 330-283-2711 or via email at nks1024@icloud.com.