Community Calendar

You won’t need a passport to enjoy eye-catching art, stunning photos and a tasty traditional Thai dish.

Reading to this furry audience improves literacy skills, builds confidence and reduces stress.

Create with Kindness is a family-focused event that helps teens and parents navigate social media together. The event will feature a taco bar, door prizes, and meaningful conversation, including a teen panel, guided discussions, and a showcase of student-made PSA videos promoting kindness and digital responsibility. Open to youth ages 13+ and their caregivers.

Create with Kindness will take place in the Findlay Student Center Ballroom. Registration is required.

Community Partnership of the Ozarks will host a four-week 𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚: 𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒄 𝑩𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 beginning May 8 at The Fairbanks.

Learn how to:
✅ Master your money (instead of it running the show)
✅ Build habits that get you to your goals
✅ Create a simple, realistic budget
𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮:
💸 $100 savings match opportunity
💡 $50 credit toward your utility bill (after completing all 4 weeks)
🏦 Open a zero-fee savings account
🍽️ Free community dinner starts at 5:15 PM |👶 Free childcare during class |

Spots are limited — registration is required.

Contact Kelly at kpaparella@cpozarks.org to sign up.

A gathering of concerned relatives and friends facing the reality that problems of someone close to them are seriously affecting their lives and their ability to function.

Families Anonymous® members are dedicated to practicing a constructive approach in dealing with the family illness of addiction and behavioral issues.

Learn from shared experiences and wisdom, that you are not alone, and that there is a better way. FA is compatible with other 12 step programs and benefits the friends and families despite whether their loved with an addiction or behavioral problems is seeking recovery or not.

Families Anonymous is a group of new friends who won't be shocked by the nature of your problems and will stand by you as you learn how to gain sanity and serenity in your life , and people just like you, helping other people just like you.

Adults are invited to attend The Ozarks in Imagination: Creating a Region with Fiction at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, in the Library Center auditorium, 4653 S. Campbell Ave.

The dominant images of the Ozarks, from backward hillbillies to charming countrysides, were shaped largely by literature like Harold Bell Wright's "The Shepherd of the Hills." Dr. Brooks Blevins, author and Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies at Missouri State University, will explore early works of fiction that defined the Ozarks' image and offer insights into depictions of class, race and religion in the region. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

This program is a Preserving the Ozarks event. Explore the people, places and events that shaped the region — and how their stories live on today. Visit thelibrary.org/preserve or call 417-882-0714 for more information about this and other free programs.

The Springfield Vegan Chef Challenge will be held during the month of May with a celebration of new vegan dishes across town. Businesses across the area will showcase special vegan menu items, giving everyone the opportunity to explore creative plant-based dishes crafted by talented local chefs.

🗓 How It Works:
- Visit participating restaurants throughout Springfield
- Try their exclusive vegan offerings
- Share your experience—vote, comment, post photos of your favorite meals, and tag us at @veganchefchallengeMW

This event is open to everyone—not just vegans.

The Rountree Council for Preservation will host a Historic Homes Tour May 9 and 10 with a self-guided tour of homes and gardens of Springfield's Historic Rountree Neighborhood.

Friday, May 9 will feature live music, local makers, and timeless neighborhood charm. Saturday, May 10 will offer the full tour, exploring the architecture, character, and stories that make Rountree unique.

Ozarks Food Harvest will host the 33rd annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger event on Saturday, May 10.

Stamp Out Hunger is the country’s largest single-day food drive that provides local residents a simple way to help their neighbors facing hunger. Participate by leaving a bag of nonperishable food next to your mailbox on the morning of Saturday, May 10, before your mail carrier arrives. Letter carriers will collect the donations as they deliver along their postal routes. All food donated will be distributed to charities in Ozarks Food Harvest’s hunger-relief network to feed our neighbors facing hunger right here in our community.

The Springfield Vegan Chef Challenge will be held during the month of May with a celebration of new vegan dishes across town. Businesses across the area will showcase special vegan menu items, giving everyone the opportunity to explore creative plant-based dishes crafted by talented local chefs.

🗓 How It Works:
- Visit participating restaurants throughout Springfield
- Try their exclusive vegan offerings
- Share your experience—vote, comment, post photos of your favorite meals, and tag us at @veganchefchallengeMW

This event is open to everyone—not just vegans.