PFLAG hosts an evening of sharing with friends in a relaxed holiday atmosphere on Monday, Dec. 27, at 7:00 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 4190 Front St. December is a time to celebrate the holidays with family and loved ones – an appropriate time to share about accomplishments and achievements, the goods things that happened and being there for those who need PFLAG’s support.

Though there is no featured speaker this month, there will be a brief annual meeting followed by support groups. Join them for fun, friendship and special holiday treats. All are welcome. Doors open 6:45 p.m.

Parking is free. Place a dated parking pass on your dashboard. Passes are available at PFLAG meetings, or you can request an email copy ahead of time from harwoodsd@sbcglobal.net.

Councilmember Michael Zucchet was confirmed as deputy mayor of the city of San Diego by the city council. Mayor Dick Murphy recommended him for the position on Dec. 2 for a term extending from Dec. 7 to Dec. 31, 2005.

As deputy mayor, Zucchet will preside over San Diego City Council meetings in the mayor’s absence or inability to perform his duties and will serve as vice chair of the council’s Rules Committee. Zucchet will continue serving on the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee as well.

Councilmember Zucchet will continue as chair of the North Embarcadero Alliance. He will also be a city liaison to the Metropolitan Transit System Board, the Port Commission, SANDAG’s Bayshore Bikeway Committee and the City-County Joint Homeless Task Force.

Bienestar Human Services and Bi-National AIDS Advocacy Project (PROCABI) present a Christmas Posada Thursday, Dec. 16, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Bienestar, located at 3020 North Park Way. Las Posada is a traditional procession of religious symbolism that despite its Mexican roots has transcended cultural lines among Latinos of diverse backgrounds and other nationalities. After the procession, participants are welcomed to a lively fiesta with candy-filled piñatas, food and music. Call (619) 295-2192 for further information.

Ethnic diversity in the GLBT community and the importance of inclusion are the topics at this month’s Community Coalition Breakfast, taking place Friday, Dec. 17, from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. in The Center’s auditorium. Speakers include San Diego Community College District Chancellor Constance Carroll, City Commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez, Ebony Pride Co-Chair Ken Riley, Latino Services Coordinator Carolina Ramos and APICAP Executive Director Jess San Roque.

The breakfasts, held on the third Friday of every month, cost $6 per person; admission includes a full breakfast catered by The Abby Café, a panel presentation, Q&A session and open discussion. For more information, contact AJ Davis at (619) 692-2077 ext. 212.

Century 21 Carole Realty in the Uptown District gathered over 3,500 pounds of food in their annual food drive.

“We calculate that every six pounds of food means one meal for a family of four,” said Amanda McCarthy of the San Diego Food Bank. The food drive collected enough food to put 566 meals on tables for needy families in San Diego County.

Troy Curnett, who co-chaired the effort said, “We were so glad to sponsor this project because people responded so generously when asked to help. All we did was the legwork, it was this community that came through to help fellow San Diegans who need a hand this year.”

“Virtually every agent on our roster participated in this effort,” said Century 21 Carole broker and co-owner Sylvia Starbird. “We encourage a great deal of community involvement and expect our associates to put back into the community. But this food drive exceeded all our expectations and we want to thank every person who donated.”

Almost half of the people served by the food bank are under the age of 18 and 22 percent are senior citizens. Half of the households served have at least one adult employed in a low-income job.

The National Conference for Community & Justice (NCCJ), founded in 1927, will be closing its San Diego operation along with a dozen other regional offices due to financial instability. The announcement comes in conjunction with the resignation of NCCJ president and CEO Sandy Cloud. The regional operation will conclude on Dec. 31.

NCCJ, a human relations organization dedicated to fighting bias, bigotry and racism in America, has served San Diego since 1963. In that time, NCCJ sponsored the Martin Luther King Jr. All Peoples Breakfast, an 18-year tradition, and Anytown, a weeklong residential summer workshop that focused on listening to the hopes, dreams, fears and frustrations of young people. Minitown is a condensed version of that program, which serves individual schools and districts.

The Norco-Corona Unified School District will participate in NCCJ’s final Minitown. Attending will be 96 students from six different high schools, 30 community volunteers and teachers, and seven youth counselors.

Linda Martinez, 50, a registered nurse with a master’s degree in counseling, has launched a rare healthcare survey of aging lesbians. The survey, part of her current master’s thesis in a nurse practitioner’s program, runs through December.

Few healthcare studies of older lesbians exist because they remain one of the most closeted groups of individuals, according to some reports. The largest study to date of lesbians and women over 45 was conducted with only 100 women over the age of 60 in 1986.

Martinez hopes to exceed the number in the 1986 survey and create a larger study of aging lesbian healthcare needs with the help of community groups, encouraging open attitudes and by using the Internet as part of the academic research.

Surveys are anonymous. For more information, call (770) 953-3154 or send for a survey copy: ASU Department of Nursing, Attn: Dr. Marianne McCarthy (women’s survey), P.O. Box 872602. Tempe, AZ 85287. You will not be asked to identify yourself.

The Center’s Women’s Resource Center is looking for volunteers to help with various aspects of running and shaping the programs, including clerical and reception duties, and dance, fitness and arts/crafts instructors. If you’re handy with a computer and don’t mind research and data entry, volunteers are needed for miscellaneous administrative duties, as is anyone available to fill desk reception shifts; hours for both are flexible. If you’re good at arts and crafts, a talented dancer or educated in fitness, contact the resource center about being a class instructor. The resource center is looking to start workshops and regular classes in a variety of disciplines, including woodwork, knitting, wire art, sculpture, clay play, yoga, kickboxing, pilates, martial arts and dance. Contact Claudia Lucero at (619) 692-2077 ext. 206 or clucero@thecentersd.org.

A Cal State University San Bernardino master’s study seeks to understand how gay and lesbian parents are treated and perceived in their children’s schools. Gay and lesbian parents are still needed for the research study, which is anonymous. The study aims to understand the complexities that gays and lesbians experience as parents with children in the public or private school systems and to explore areas in which the current system does not meet their unique needs. The more responses they get, the better the data will be and the better the study can draw conclusions on how best to improve conditions for gay and lesbian parents.

Link to the brief online questionnaire via San Diego News Briefs at www.gayles biantimes.com, or call Dr. Brian Heisterkamp at (909) 880-7665.