Renaissance Faire supports Filipino adoptions

Seven children currently living in orphanages in the Philippines will soon call Idaho home.

To help finance the cost of some of the adoptions, Two groups, A Summer of Hope, and The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach, have come together to host the Faire, a family-friendly, community event.  

Ye Olde Renaissance Faire will be held at Settlers Park at Meridian and Ustick Roads in Meridian on Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The public is invited and admission is free.

The Faire will include lots of fun stuff — performances, games, crafts, dancing, food, and demonstrations, including Order of Ares sword fighting and stockades, a tribal Celtic band, festivities from the Society for Creative Anachronism, a royal court, and more! Details are available at the website. 

Here’s the backstory: In the summer of 2008 the two organizations sponsoring the faire, brought ten school-age orphans from the Philippines to Idaho in hopes of finding adoptive homes for them.

The children, who range in age from 8 to 16, are considered unadoptable in their country. Treasure families are adopting eight of the ten children, plus one additional child. Proceeds from the faire will go to covering some of the adoption costs.

Drum Central open house and potluck

Hey, your favorite nonprofit purveyors of African rhythms are hosting an open house and potluck fest, noon to 6 p.m., Saturday, June 6 at Drum Central, 2709 W. State St.

This is the chance to check out the studio and shop, sign up for summer classes, share good stuff to eat, build your musical community, try something new, shop with a 10 percent discount, check out native flute and didgeridoo demos.

Bring your drum to play along, if you have one.  

Idaho State Independent Living Council gets a new director

Todd DeVries will become the organization’s new executive director on June 8, after Kelly Buckland leaves to become executive director for the National Council on Independent Living in Washington, D.C.

DeVries is the former chair of the organization and has served on the council for over six years. He’s also served on the Idaho Task Force on the ADA and worked with various non-profit organizations throughout the state — particularly in the Idaho Falls and Pocatello areas.
He now works at Idaho State University, coordinating the university’s ADA and Disability Resource Center.