CanCare, a nonprofit organization offering emotional support to cancer patients and their loved ones, will have volunteer training classes April 26-28 at Johns Creek Presbyterian Church. Those interested can complete an online application at www.cancare.org or by calling (888) 461-0028.

“Powerful Tools for Caregivers,” a six-week class for caregivers of those with chronic illnesses, disabilities or injuries, will be from 9-10:30 a.m. Fridays beginning April 26. The focus is on taking care of oneself while a caregiver. For more information or to register, call Laura Bagwell at (770) 781-2178.

Northside Hospital-Forsyth will have free stroke screenings from 9 a.m. to noon May 11 in the education center’s third floor. Pre-registration is required by calling (404) 845-5555 and pressing 0.

Mended Hearts, a nationwide heart patient support network, is forming a Cumming chapter at Northside Hospital-Forsyth. For more information, contact Jim Thompson at (770) 887-8469 or gd8469@yahoo.com.

The Canton/Cumming Parkinson’s Disease Support Group meets from 1-3 p.m. the third Saturday of each month in the education building of Northside Hospital-Cherokee, 130B Oakside Court in Canton. For more information, call (706) 413-3264 or go online at www.npfgeorgia.org.

The Johns Creek Prostate Cancer Support Group meets at Johns Creek United Methodist Church, 11180 Medlock Bridge Road. For more information, call Bill Neils at (770) 783-2502 or e-mail ustoo@johnscreekumc.org.

Whispering Hope invites anyone touched by abortion to join one of its post abortion healing groups. It provides confidential and private small group opportunities on Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons. The group works through “Forgiven and Set Free,” an eight-week course. For more information, call (770) 889-8302.

The Forsyth County Senior Center is offering free life coaching/counseling the first, second and third Wednesday of each month, as well as a free caregiver support group the first and third Wednesday of each month, at 595 Dahlonega St. in Cumming. Call Dan Hill at (770) 781-2178 to make an appointment.

Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 6:45 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and at 6 p.m. Saturdays at Lanier United Methodist Church, 1979 Buford Hwy., in the trailer behind the church. A 24-hour hotline is available at (404) 525-3178.

Oak Grove Baptist Church presents its GriefShare ministry, a Christ-centered support group for those grieving the loss of a loved one. Sessions include topics like "The Journey of Grief,""The Effects of Grief" and "Living with Grief." Sessions are 6:30 p.m. Mondays at the church. For more information, call Daphne Bagley Moore at (770) 781-2866.

RESOLVE, a peer-led support group for couples struggling with infertility, meets from 10-11:30 a.m. the third Saturday of each month at the counseling offices of Beth Franchini, off Ga. 400, Exit 13. To learn more, contact Kate Badey at katie9924@hotmail.com.

Turning Point at Chestatee Intensive Outpatient Counseling Program is offered to residents of several northeast Georgia counties, including Forsyth. The program, through Chestatee Regional Hospital and Golden Care LLC in Dahlonega, offers group, individual and family counseling for patients suffering from depression, loss of independence, grief, anxiety and other emotional stressors. Patients attend the program one to five days a week depending on their level of need. Transportation to and from the program and lunch are provided. For more information, call John McMillon at (225) 385-5767 or (706) 867-4303.

Restore Motherhood is a nonprofit group that helps chronically ill mothers during their tough times. The group assists with household chores so that "Mommy" can spend time with her children. Duties include laundry, light cooking, dishes, sitting with mom while in the hospital and providing a ride to the doctor. If someone you know could use some help or you want to volunteer, call founder Sandy Moore at (770) 899-5641 or e-mail ericsandy@comcast.net. The group's Web site is restoremotherhood.webs.com. There is no charge for these services; however, it is always accepting donations and seeking volunteers.

SMART Recovery, Self Management and Recovery Training, helps individuals gain independence from all types of addiction. The group’s participants form a worldwide community that includes free, self-empowering, secular and science-based at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the office of Professional Recovery Counseling, 107 W. Courthouse Square, Suite 274 in downtown Cumming. Call (770) 630-6892 or go online at www.smartrecovery.org for more information.

Survivors of Suicide Support Group meetings are 6:30-8 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the Warehouse, at Midway Park/Family Festival. The meetings are free, confidential and open to anyone who has lost a friend or loved one to suicide. For more information, call Karen at (770) 355-1024 or Sherry at (404) 660-0907. If you are in crisis, call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line at (800) 715-4225.

GriefShare offers a safe place to interact with other adults who are also grieving the loss of a loved one. To learn more about the program contact Church of The Apostles Assistant Pastor Chris Foglesong at (706) 216-4912.

Compassionate Care Hospice is looking for volunteers to help those facing terminal illness. The program takes an hour a week and has needs in the Cumming area. For more information, contact Lin at (770) 220-2723 or e-mail tatum.lin46@gmail.com.

The Chestatee group of Alcoholics Anonymous meets at noon and 6:30 p.m. seven days a week at Hwy. 53 and War Hill Road, behind the tire outlet. All meetings are open. For more information, call (706) 265-6710.

Alzheimer's Respite Care is a service offered by Forsyth County Senior Services for caregivers and for individuals with early to moderate Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia. The Sunshine Club meets from 11:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Monday through Friday. The program provides caregivers a block of time for themselves by providing a safe environment filled with cognitively and physically stimulating activities for their loved ones with dementia. A nutritious lunch and snacks are provided, and transportation may be available. For more information, call Laura Bagwell at (770) 781-2178.

NAMI FDL support groups, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, offers two local support groups (for families and peers). Meetings are from 7-8:30 p.m. the second and last Thursday of each month at the Forsyth County Senior Center, 595 Dahlonega Hwy. in Cumming. For more information, go online at www.namifdl.org or call (770) 406-8322. The help line is (800) 950-6264.

Northside Hospital-Forsyth has several blood drives throughout the year at Northside Hospital-Forsyth, Bennett Education Center, 1400 Northside Forsyth Drive in Cumming. Each donor will receive a free Northside Hospital T-shirt. As long as you are healthy, weigh at least 110 pounds and are 17 or older, you can give blood. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Glenda Cronan at (770) 844-3400, or e-mail glenda.cronan@northside.com.

Sawnee View Memorial Gardens support group meets from 11 a.m. to noon the second Wednesday of each month at Piedmont Methodist clubhouse. On the fourth Wednesday the meeting is at an area restaurant. The group is for those who have lost family members and loved ones. For more information, call Scott Bennett at (770) 887-2387 or William Phillips at (770) 889-0607.

Al-Anon Family Group meets at Trinity Presbyterian Church in the Free Home community. Inside Al-Anon Family Groups, members speak confidentially to one another about their situations. By listening to one another, members learn to understand the impact of alcoholism in shaping their perspectives and behaviors. They strengthen their relationships by personally using the "12 Steps" method adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous as a pattern for meaningful change. Al-Anon has no mandatory fees and is self-supporting through members' voluntary contributions. Members will meet in the fellowship hall at 1136 Trinity Church Road. For specific directions, call (770) 479-5899 or (678) 493-6955.

The Cancer Support Community offers the following free events at Northside Hospital-Forsyth, 1400 Northside Forsyth Drive. R.S.V.P. at (404) 843-1880.

• Support group for people with cancer/their loved ones — 6:30-8:30 p.m. every Tuesday in Suite 180.

• Drop-in Breast Cancer Support Group — 3-5 p.m. the third Sunday of the month in Room 140.    

Free individual counseling for seniors by a qualified therapist, will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at the Forsyth County Senior Center. Call Dan Hill at (770) 781-2178 to make an appointment.

Access Christian Counseling has the following 16-week classes and is currently accepting applications for each:

• Men's Sexual Recovery Support Group — for men struggling with sexual addiction, sexual sin, compulsive behavior, affair recovery, sexual identity issues, same sex attraction problems and abuse recovery.

• Spouses of Sexual Betrayal Support Group — for women who have felt the betrayal in their relationship through sexual sin, sexual addiction, an affair or related abuse of trust in their relationship.

• Adolescent Young Men's Sexual Recovery Support Group — for young men struggling with sexual addiction, sexual sin, compulsive behavior, affair recovery, sexual identity issues, same sex attraction problems and abuse recovery.

• Women's Sexual Recovery Support Group — for women struggling with sexual addiction, sexual sin, compulsive behavior, affair recovery, sexual identity issues, same sex attraction problems and abuse recovery.

For more information, call Jeffrey Stull at (770) 888-7754.

Grief Support: Circle of Hope is a weekly seminar and support group at Cumming First United Methodist Church for people who are grieving the death of someone close to them. It’s a place to be around people who understand what you are feeling. At Grief Support, you’ll learn valuable information about recovering from your grief and renewing your hope for the future. To sign up, or if you have questions, contact the Rev. Kathleen Stasko, minister of pastoral care and older adults, at (770) 887-2900, Ext. 212, or by e-mail at kstasko@cfumcga.com.

Happy Tails Pet Therapy is recruiting new volunteers. It needs volunteers and their pet dogs, cats or rabbits to help brighten days at more than 140 metro Atlanta health care facilities, social agencies and special needs programs.

Volunteers must be 18 or older. Monthly orientation lasts one hour and no reservations are required. Sorry, pets are not permitted at orientation. Visit HappyTailsPets.org or call (770) 740-8211 for more information.

Mothers Against Methamphetamine Forsyth County, meets every second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at New Hope United Methodist Church, 4815 Dawsonville Hwy. It strives to provide competent and compassionate drug education and rehabilitation resources for the addict, the family and the community. Contact Claire McDonald at (770) 889-8228 or (770) 889-7440 for more information.

Alcoholics Anonymous offers meetings at different locations. For meeting times and information, call (770) 886-0696.

Caregiver support group's regular monthly meetings scheduled for the third Monday of each month are temporarily canceled. Please call Sharon Waters at (770) 889-4272 if you wish to talk or meet with someone to discuss care-giving.

Cumming MS self-help group of the National MS Society invites anyone diagnosed with multiple sclerosis or those who have a family member with MS to attend our self-help group, which meets from 10 to 11:30 a.m. the first Saturday of each month at the Doctor's Building at Northside Hospital-Forsyth in Cumming.

For information, call the National MS Society at (404) 256-9700 or Mary Grunewald, the self-help group facilitator, at (770) 889-8179.

Depression support group can help with feelings of hopeless or being overwhelmed with life. Appalachian Family Services Inc. is offering a free support group for depressed individuals. The group meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Thursday of each month at Northside Hospital-Cherokee in Canton.

Other free support groups are also available. Trained facilitators lead all support groups. AFSI is a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency providing community mental health services. For information, call (770) 592-6515.

Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association announces that registration in the nationwide Safe Return program is now available for hundreds of Georgia residents with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. The fee is $40. Given the increasing number of Alzheimer's patients who are frequently reported as missing, this program is a way of increasing their protection and safe return.

For more information, call Andrea Higgins at (404) 728-1181.

GriefShare Program offers weekly seminar and support groups for people who are grieving the death of someone close to them. It is a place to be around people who understand what you are feeling. At GriefShare, learn valuable information about recovering from  grief and renewing hope for the future.

GriefShare features brief videos with nationally recognized experts on grief and recovery topics. Seminar sessions include "When Your Dreams Fall Apart," "The Seasons of Grief," The Emotions of Grief," "When Your Spouse Dies," "Your Family and Grief" and "Growing Through Grief." There is no cost. For information, contact the Rev. Ron Preuss, minister of pastoral care and older adults at Cumming First UMC, 770 Canton Highway, at (770) 887-2900.

Portsbridge Hospice is looking for volunteers of all ages for inpatient and homecare facilities. The wide range of volunteering duties includes anything from patient care to clerical work. For information, call Lisa Smith at (770) 614-9046.

North Fulton Regional Hospital is in need of volunteers for various departments and shifts at North Fulton Regional Hospital. Volunteers provide valuable services within the hospital that benefit the departments and patients, along with their families and friends. For information, call Gail Sinno at (770) 751-2602.

"Man to Man," a support group for prostate cancer survivors, meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Northside Hospital-Forsyth in the library. Don't call, just come.

Miracle on Wheels makes available power (electric) wheelchairs to non-ambulatory senior citizens usually at no out-of-pocket expense if they qualify.

No deposit is required. The electric wheelchairs are provided to those who cannot walk and cannot self-propel a manual wheelchair in their home or independent living quarters and who meet the additional qualifications of the program. This service may also be available to the permanently disabled of any age. Call (800) 749-8778 or visit the Web site at www.DurableMedical.com for more information about the details of this program.

MS stretch class, a stretch class designed for individuals with multiple sclerosis, is available as a component to the MS society aquatic exercise program. Classes focus on improving flexibility, strength, endurance, stabilization and relaxation. Classes are from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. every Wednesday at the Shepherd Center, 2020 Peachtree Road in Atlanta. Fees are $12 per month for ProMotion members and $15 per month for non-members. For information, call (404) 350-7789.

MS support group meets the first Saturday of each month at Northside Hospital-Forsyth, Building 1400, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. For information, call Mary Grunewald at (770) 889-8179.

NAMI, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, a support group for friends and family of the mentally ill, meets on the last Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Sawnee Cultural Arts Center, 1090 Tribble Gap Road in Cumming. All are welcome to attend.

Narcotics Anonymous offers three meetings a week and a 24-hour Help Line. The Help Line number is (678) 549-1247.

North Georgia Autism Center at 5285 Lake Pointe Center Drive, Suite C, in Cumming provides one-on-one sessions, discrete trial consultations, school consultations and social skills classes for autistic children. For more information, call (770) 844-8624.