NAMI DURHAM CLASSES AND MEETINGS

The NAMI* Connection Recovery Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for those age 18+ who are living with a mental illness. Group members will be able to share successes with each other and discuss challenges with the help of NAMI-trained facilitators. This month’s meetings will be held on Tuesdays, December 13 and 27, 7:30–9pm; click here to register in advance for this Zoom meeting.

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     * National Alliance on Mental Illness

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NAMI Durham hosts an online Stress & Anxiety Support Group for African-Americans every Thursday from 7 to 9pm. Black people often push down their fears and problems because they’ve been told that seeking help is a sign of weakness. Lorraine Childs leads the weekly confidential discussions that encourage African-Americans to reach out and to realize that “You are not alone.” Share experiences without judgment, exchange tips, and gain access to helpful resources. Click here for more info; if you’d like to attend a meeting (on Zoom), click on “Calendar” and then click on the particular Thursday to register for that day’s meeting.

• Durham County Department of Public Health (414 E Main St)—walk-ins on weekdays 9am–4pm (6pm on Tuesdays). No registration or ID is needed. Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson. PLEASE NOTE: The County now has Moderna and Pfizer vaccines available for babies as young as 6 months.

• Lincoln Community Health Center (1301 Fayetteville St)—walk-ins on weekdays 9–11am and 1–5pm. Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson

• Central Pharmacy (2609 N Duke St #103, 919-220-5121)—weekdays 9am–5:30pm, Saturdays 9am–noon. Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson

• Durham Pharmacy (5826 Fayetteville Rd #105, 919-224-1234)—weekdays 9am–7pm, Saturdays 10am–2pm. Moderna and Pfizer

• Gurley’s Pharmacy (114 W Main St, 919-688-8978)—weekdays 10am–3pm. Moderna and Pfizer

• Harris Teeter (2107 Hillsborough Rd, 919-286-1500; 3457 Hillsborough Rd, 919-383-2249; 1501 Horton Rd, 919-471-1938; 1817 Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy, 919-489-9887; 1802 N Pointe Dr, 919-220-5761; 5116 N Roxboro Rd, 919-471-6263; 1125 W Hwy 54 #310, 919-403-0794; 202 Hwy 54, 919-361-9893)—weekdays 9am–7pm, Saturdays 9am–5pm, Sundays 11am–5pm.

• Hersey Pharmacy (4711 Hope Valley Rd, 919-346-4008)—weekdays 11am–4pm. Call for info on getting homebound individuals vaccinated. Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson

• Josef’s Pharmacy (3421 N Roxboro St, 919-680-1540)—weekdays 11am–4pm. Pfizer

• Park West Pharmacy (4900 Hwy 55 #160, 984-219-6305)—weekdays 9am–6pm. Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson

• Russell’s Pharmacy & Shoppe (2116 Angier Ave, 919-908-1060)—weekdays noon–6pm, Saturdays 9:30–11:30am. Pfizer and Moderna

• Southpoint Pharmacy (6216 Fayetteville Rd #105, 919-908-0217)—weekdays 9am–6pm, Saturdays 10am–3pm. Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson

• Triangle Pharmacy at Ace Hardware (1700 E Hwy 54, 919-544-1711)—Tuesdays 2–5pm, Thursdays and Fridays 9am–3pm. Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson

• Walgreen’s (1505 Broad St, 919-286-4431; 710 Fayetteville St Durham, 919-530-8774; 6405 Fayetteville Rd, 919-544-6430; 3793 Guess Rd, 919-479-5156; 1821 Hillandale Rd, 919-383-9428; 1812 Holloway St, 919-682-9546; 200 N Lasalle St, 919-383-5591; 3905 N Roxboro St, 919-471-1534; 104 Sherron Rd, 919-227-3114; 1109 W Hwy 54, 919-403-8059)—weekdays 9am–9pm, Saturdays 9am–6pm, Sundays 10am–6pm. Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson

• Walmart (1525 Glenn School Rd, 919-688-3081; and 5450 New Hope Commons Dr, 919-489-4420)—weekdays 9am–7pm, Saturdays 9am–6pm, Sundays 10am–6pm. Moderna

• Wheels Fun Park (715 N Hoover Rd)—Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 3–7pm. Pfizer.

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The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has contracted with OPTUM Serve, LHI, and UnitedHealth Services to administer free COVID-19 tests. You don’t need to have your photo ID, and the tests can be taken by anyone age 1 and up. OptumServe promises to always have someone there who speaks Spanish. You don’t have to make an appointment, but if you’d like to make one anyway, click here.

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Here’s the schedule for the current week:

CVS (1845 Martin Luther King Pkwy)

• Monday–Thursday 8am–8pm, Friday 8am–6pm, Sunday 10am–6pm

CVS (930 Martin Luther King Pkwy)

• Monday–Thursday 9am–8pm, Friday 9am–6pm, Sunday 10am–5pm

CVS (6911 Garrett Rd)

• Monday–Thursday 9am–8pm, Friday 10am–6pm, Sunday 10am–6pm

CVS (3573 Hillsborough Rd)

• Monday–Thursday 8am–9pm, Friday 9am–6pm, Sunday 10am–6pm

CVS (3737 N Roxboro St)

• Monday–Thursday 8am–9pm, Friday 9am–6pm, Sunday 10am–6pm

CVS (2010 Sedwick Rd)

• Monday–Thursday 9am–8pm, Friday 10am–6pm, Sunday 10am–5pm

CVS (5111 Wake Forest Hwy)

• Monday–Friday 9am–8pm, Saturday + Sunday 10am–6pm

CVS (5311 N Roxboro Rd)

• Monday–Friday 9am–8pm, Saturday + Sunday 10am–6pm

Walgreens (1109 Hwy 54)

• Monday–Friday 9:30am–5pm, Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 10:30am–5pm

Walgreens (1505 Broad St)

• Monday–Friday 9:30am–5pm

Walgreens (6405 Fayetteville Rd)

• Monday–Sunday 9:30am–5pm

Walgreens (1821 Hillandale Rd)

• Monday–Friday 9:30am–5pm, Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 10:30am–5pm

Walgreens (2104 E Hwy 54)

• Monday–Friday 9:30am–5pm

Walgreens (3905 N Roxboro St)

• Monday–Friday 9:30am–5pm, Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 10:30am–5pm

Walgreens (3793 Guess Rd)

• Monday–Friday 9:30am–5pm, Saturday + Sunday 10:30am–5pm

Walgreens (104 Sherron Rd)

• Monday–Saturday 9:30am–5pm

Walgreens (710 Fayetteville St)

• Monday–Friday 9:30am–5pm, Saturday + Sunday 10:30am–5pm

Walgreens (200 N Lasalle St)

• Monday–Saturday 9:30am–5pm, Sunday 10:30am–5pm

Walgreens (1812 Holloway St)

• Monday–Friday 9:30am–5pm

Lakewood Shopping Center (2000 Chapel Hill Rd)

• Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5:30pm

Triangle Empowerment Center (112 Broadway St)

• Tuesday + Thursday 1–5pm

Wake Toxicology Lab (5129 Hwy 55, Suite 103-104)

• Monday–Friday 9am–7pm, Saturday + Sunday 9:30am–5pm.

PICKUP ONLY (10 tests per person; minimum age for picking up tests is 14 years)

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Durham County Department of Public Health (414 E Main St, 919-560-9217)

• Monday, Wednesday + Friday 9am–1pm; Tuesday + Thursday noon–4pm

Communities in Partnership (101 S Driver St, 984-287-7977)

• Monday–Friday 10:30am–5:30pm

Community Health Coalition (308 Crutchfield St, Suite D, 919-470-8680)

• Tuesday + Thursday 11am–3pm

CWS (504 W Chapel Hill St, Suite 106, 919-680-4310)

• Monday 1–3pm, Tuesday 11am–3pm, Thursday 1–3pm

Duke Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute/African-American COVID-19 Taskforce (3308 Rugby Rd, 919-981-7267)

• Monday 9–11am and 1–3pm, Friday 7–9am

El Centro Hispano (2000 Chapel Hill Rd, Suite 26A, 919-687-4635)

• Tuesday 9am–3pm, Thursday 9am–6pm

Greater Outreach Services (2530 Meridian Pkwy, Suite 3012, 833-741-7770)

• Tuesday 9:30am–3pm, Thursday 1–4pm​

LGBTQ Center of Durham (112 W Main St, 2nd floor, 919-827-1436)

• Wednesday 11am–1pm, Thursday 1–5pm, Friday 1–3pm, Saturday 1–3pm

St Mark AME Zion Church (531 S Roxboro St, 919-688-2092)

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday + Friday 1–3pm​​​

HOPE4NC HELPLINE

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is offering the Hope4NC helpline for people needing mental-health support due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone can get free and confidential emotional support and helpful resources 24/7 via telephone, text, or chat. This service is also available in Spanish. The Hope4NC helpline number is 855-587-3463; click here for more info, to start a chat, send a text message, and to get help in Spanish.

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Feel free to explore the NCDHHS’s COVID-19 website here for more resources and information on staying both physically and mentally healthy during the pandemic.

Formed by a partnership of Safe Kids North Carolina, the Riverkeepers of North Carolina, NC State Bureau of Investigation, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of North Carolina, and local law enforcement agencies, Operation Medicine Drop is an initiative that helps people safely dispose of expired and unused medications. A common practice is to flush them down the toilet, but that poisons the waters and endangers wildlife. Simply tossing them in the trash is also a bad idea. Someone could come along, fish them out, and use them as recreational drugs. Many overdoses and other drug-related problems happen because someone didn’t get rid of over-the-counter medications properly.

Operation Medicine Drop provides safe dropoff points for those who want to get rid of their old medications easily and safely. Here are the Durham County locations:

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• Durham County Justice Center (510 S Dillard St, in the lobby, 919-560-0854)—weekdays 8:15am–5pm

• Durham County Sheriff’s Office, North Station (11821 US Hwy 501 N, in Rougemont, 919-560-0930)—weekdays 8am–4:30pm

• Durham District 2 Police Substation (5285 N Roxboro Rd)—weekdays 8am–5pm

• Durham District 3 Police Substation (#8 Consultant Pl, Shannon Rd near MLK Pkwy)—weekdays 8am–5pm

• Durham Police Department Headquarters (602 E Main St)—anytime (24/7).

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Click here for more info.

AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES

The American Red Cross will host the following pop-up Blood Drives. (Blood/platelets can also be donated just about every day at the American Red Cross office (4737 University Dr).) Click here for more info and to set an appointment.

​Thursday, November 3

• Streets at Southpoint (6910 Fayetteville Rd), 12:30–6:30pm 

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Friday, November 4

• Holy Infant Catholic Church (5000 Southpark Dr), 8am–12:30pm

• The River Church (4900 Prospectus Dr), 10am–3pm

• Streets at Southpoint (6910 Fayetteville Rd), 12:30–6:30pm

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Tuesday, November 8

• North Carolina Central University’s Alfonso Elder Student Union (Fayetteville and Nelson Sts), 11am–5pm

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Wednesday, November 9

• St Mark AME Church (531 S Roxboro St), 11am–4pm

• Duke University’s West Union Bldg (416 Chapel Dr), 11:30am–4:30pm

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Thursday, November 10

• Duke University’s West Union Bldg (416 Chapel Dr), 11:30am–4:30pm

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Saturday, November 12​

• West Durham Baptist Church (1901 Athens Ave), 9am–2pm​​​​​

Tuesday, November 15

• Rose of Sharon Baptist Church (4109 Guess Rd), 2:30–7pm 

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Wednesday, November 16

• Pleasant Green United Methodist Church (3005 Pleasant Green Rd), 10am–3pm

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Thursday, November 17

• Mt Sylvan United Methodist Church (5731 N Roxboro Rd), 1–6pm

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Wednesday, November 30

• North Carolina School of Science and Math (1219 Broad St), 1:30–6pm

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Friday, December 2

• Streets at Southpoint—JC Penney (6910 Fayetteville Rd), 12:30–6:30pm

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Monday, December 5

• Duke University PA Program (800 S Duke St, 11am–5pm

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Friday, December 9​

• Brightleaf at the Park Clubhouse (2003 Copper Leaf Pkwy), 1–6pm.​

BLOOD CONNECTION BLOOD DRIVES

The Blood Connection hosts mobile Blood Drives throughout Durham. Here’s a partial schedule of the pop-up locations (in the most public spaces). Click here to see the full list of locations and dates:

Friday, November 4

• Kohl’s (5241 McFarland Rd), 2:30–7:30pm

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Tuesday, November 8

• Weatherby Healthcare (5003 S Miami Blvd), 11am–4pm

• The Heights at South LaSalle (500 S LaSalle St), 4–7pm

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Wednesday, November 9

• Charles River Laboratories Intl (4001 Hwy 54), 10am–3pm

• Grey Stone Church (2601 Hillsborough Rd), 2–7pm

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Thursday, November 10

• Voyager Academy High School (4302 Ben Franklin Blvd), 9am–2pm​

• Durham County Courthouse (510 S Dillard; look for the bus on Mangum St), 10am–3pm​

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Friday, November 11

• Elizabeth St United Methodist Church (1209 N Elizabeth St), 1–6pm​

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Saturday, November 12

• Fendol Farms Clubhouse (1420 Fendol Farms Pkwy), 10am–3pm

• Durty Bull Brewery (206 Broadway St, Suite 104), 4–7:30pm

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Thursday, November 17

• Bonefish Grill (7820 Hwy 751), 3–8pm

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Tuesday, November 22

• Sprouts (105 W Hwy 54), 1–6pm

​Wednesday, November 23​

• Kohl’s (5241 McFarland Rd), noon–5pm

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​Friday, November 25​

• Streets at Southpoint—Belk (6910 Fayetteville Rd), 1–6pm

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Saturday, November 26

• Kohl’s (5241 McFarland Rd), noon–5pm

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Thursday, December 1​

• Museum of Life and Science (433 W Murray Ave), 10am–3pm

• Outback (3500 Mt Moriah Rd), 3–8pm

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Friday, December 2

• Duke Health Technology Solutions (14 Moore Dr), 10am–3pm

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Tuesday, December 6​

• Northern High School (117 Tom Wilkinson Rd), 10am–3pm

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Wednesday, December 7​

• Eli Lilly (59 Moore Dr), 10am–3pm

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Thursday, December 8

• Almac (4238 Technology Dr), 9:30am–2:30pm

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Saturday, December 1​0

• Golden Belt—Hi-Wire Brewing (800 Taylor St), 2–7pm.

The National Library Service in Washington DC, in cooperation with libraries across the country, hosts the That All May Read program. People with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that keeps them from reading or holding a book can have braille or audio books delivered to them free of charge. You can choose physical books or free downloads. Click here to get started.

NORTH CAROLINA READING SERVICE

211 E Six Forks Rd, Suite 103, Raleigh,

919-832-5138, website:

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The North Carolina Reading Service is a free service helps blind and visually impaired people keep up with the news and entertainment worlds. Volunteers read local news stories, editorials, obituaries, books, and advertisements from a variety of publications. They also read special programs that discuss specific topics like education, tech tips, and legal matters. Users can then listen via their smartphone and tablet apps, the NCRS website, or with any “Alexa”-enabled device.

Listeners who don’t have internet access can borrow specially tuned receivers free of charge. Donations to NCRS help cover the average price of $70 per receiver, and some listeners make donations if they’re able to. Click here to see the various ways of enjoying the broadcasts and to see the list of podcasts included with the service. Visit the website if you’d like to make a monetary donation or if you’d like to be a volunteer reader.

​Hersey Pharmacy (4711 Hope Valley Rd, in the Woodcroft Shopping Center) offers free vitamins for kids, adults, and seniors. Stop by and sign up for your 30-day supply; you can pick up free vitamins every month. Call 919-346-4008  for more info.