Happy birthday wishes to Tammy Bell, March 14, Chase City; Lorette Tharpe, March 14, Scuffletown; Myah Jenkins, March 14, Tampa, Florida; Sharon Johnson, March 16, Keysville; Janice Johnson, March 16, Bronx N.Y.; Howard Johnson, March 16, Charlotte Court House; Christian Jackson, March 17, Keysville; Grandson of Roland and Elaine F. Walton of Charlotte Court House; Felicia Cook, March 18, Drakes Branch; Iris Walker, March 18, Charlotte Court House; Maryann Rosso, March 18, Cullen; Schquita Young, March 18, Charlotte Court House; Kaley Moon, March 19, Saxe; Ama Gee, March 19, Orange, New Jersey; Gary Foster, March 19, Chase City; Charles Pulliam, Jr., March 19, Fort Mitchell; Caleb Trent, March 19, Farmville; T’amiyah Houchens, March 19, Chase City. I wish each of you many more happy birthdays. Happy birthday!

Anniversary wishes to Mae and Vernard Townsend, March 18, Rice, 40 years, two children and six grandchildren. I wish you many more happy years together with God’s blessings.

Get well wishes to all of the sick and shut in. I hope you are well soon, up and about. You are in our prayers and thoughts for a speedy recovery.

Sympathy to all of the families who lost a loved one recently. Our heartfelt prayers and good wishes go out to all of you in your time of need. You have our deepest sympathy.

Looking for people to do volunteer handy work for individuals with disabilities. Work will include construction, plumbing, electric, etc. Call (434) 454-0918 and help the elderly. Some people can’t afford to pay for services, so this is a way we can help those in need for our county and community.

Thought for the week: Don’t be afraid to start over. It gives you a chance to build something even better.

ACHIEVEMENT

The future is not a gift, it is an achievement. Don’t care what they say, reach for the stars. What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve. What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.

You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change. You never achieve real success unless you like what you are doing. Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.

News is due by noon Friday. Any news received after this time will not be included in this column. News can be submitted by calling (434) 568-0596. Leave a message.

Virginia Freeman is a community columnist for The Charlotte Gazette. She can be reached at vstars@pure.net.