Michelle Panzlaff is accustomed to helping people clear out clutter, but she's switching gears for a good cause and seeking donations of household items.

Panzlaff, who runs the New Westminster-based business Tidy Tiger Solutions, is holding a charity drive for household items on May 15 and 16. All donations will be passed along to Gather and Give, a Christian non-profit charity that works with the poor in Metro Vancouver and partners with more than 100 agencies to provide essential goods.

Panzlaff learned about the Gather and Give charity while attending another event. The non-profit group accepts donations of kitchen, bath, bedding and other household products.

"They gather it together," she said. "They make home essential kits for people who may be in need."

People will be able to drop off their donations in the centre court of 210 11th St. on Saturday, May 15 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, May 16 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Gather and Give appreciates donations of gently used or new donations of household items, such as pots and pans, dishes, utensils, cutlery, dish cloths, pot holders, oven mitts, alarm clocks, towels, sheet sets, pillows and blankets. Items such as winter jackets, gloves, scarves, toiletries, socks and underwear are also welcomed.

In addition to collecting donations for Gather and Give, Michelle is also assembling some friends who are in the business of helping people clean and organize their homes. They'll be on hand to answer questions.

For more information about the charity drive, go to www.tidytiger.biz.

NAME THE BOAT

The Fraser River Discovery Centre is inviting residents to help build and name an 18-foot Fraser River skiff.

Through Build-a-Boat: Wooden Boat Building on the Fraser, volunteers and visitors are building the boat in the gallery. The builders have completed the frame, and they have begun work on the planks.

"Since this is a community building project, we wanted to have the community's ideas for boat names," said Kathleen Bertrand, exhibit and communication coordinator. "A boat-naming contest seemed perfect."

Once the boat is complete it will be on display in the Discovery Centre. Boat building will continue every Saturday into the spring.

"Every week, we are getting closer and closer to finishing," Bertrand said. "If you've been meaning to come down, you don't have too many weeks left."

Boat naming ballot forms are available at the Discovery Centre; suggestions are also welcomed on the Discovery Centre's Facebook page. The contest winner will receive a prize pack with an annual family pass to the Fraser River Discovery Centre and five family passes to any City of New Westminster parks, culture and recreation facility.

Fraser River Discovery Centre has also launched a call for artists for a photography exhibit opening in September entitled, *click* Photos of the Fraser.

The photos submitted will be displayed online and selected images will be installed in the galleries. *click* Photos of the Fraser will open during the centre's annual Artists on the River festival in September. More information about the contest is available at www.fraserriverdiscovery.org.

Fraser River Discovery Centre is located at 788 Quayside Dr. It's is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission rates apply for the galleries.

HELP FOR HEALTH

The Group of Five (and Friends) is holding a garden-themed luncheon to raise funds to buy a new piece of equipment for Royal Columbian Hospital.

The group, which consists of Mary Lou Chesman, Shirley Piper, Alana McIntyre, Marion Osterman, Jennifer Peyton, Helen Bodner and Gerda Suess, is holding a fundraising luncheon on Friday, May 14 at the Old Bavaria Haus, 233 Sixth St., from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In addition to a three-course garden-themed lunch, people will also be able to purchase containers with plants, garden accessories, picnic baskets and gift baskets with a garden theme - with everything priced at $20. A garden specialist will be on hand to answer horticulture questions, and bedding plants will also be sold.

The Group of Five (and Friends) is working to buy a "pressure monitor," which is a device that helps monitor how much pressure blood is putting on a muscle and can be used by various departments at the hospital. The group seeks to raise money to buy items for Royal Columbian Hospital that are needed but are not being funded.

For more information about the May 14 fundraiser, call Gerda Suess at 604-522-7196 or e-mail groupof5society@hotmail.com.

Send Around Town ideas to tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com.