Hearts of Hope-Newtown (HOH-Newtown) will sponsor its final 2018 Paint with A Purpose event on Wednesday, November 14, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

The gatherings are held in the hall at Newtown United Methodist Church, 92 Church Hill Road. The November event will be the latest in a series of fundraisers the charitable organization hosts to benefit philanthropic groups. This month’s event will benefit The Ronald McDonald House in New Haven. It will also serve to celebrate the charity’s amazing volunteers. Organizers have also announced that this week's gathering will also include an opportunity for guests to create hearts to be delivered to Pittsburgh, to offer comfort to those affected by the October 27 shooting at that city's Tree of Life synagogue.

All are welcome to attend the Paint With A Purpose events. All supplies are provided, from the palm-sized ceramic hearts that are decorated with simple messages and/or images of hope to the paint and brushes used to create the messages. A donation of $5 per heart is requested, which covers the supplies fee for the nonprofit organization.

Reservations are requested, but walk-ins are welcome.

For additional information or to make a reservation for the Newtown group, visit facebook.com/heartsofhopeofnewtownct.

Hearts of Hope also announced that their regular monthly Paint with A Purpose events will be changed in 2019 from the third Wednesday each month to the second.

The 2019 schedule for HOH-Newtown has been unveiled as follows: January 9, Gold Star Families; February 13, The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association (DEBRA) of America; March 13, Alzheimer Awareness; April 10, suicide prevention; May 8, organ donors and recipients; and June 12, AVM Research and Awareness and The Collin George Whitmore Foundation.

Following a break during the summer, HOH-Newtown will resume on September 11 with a Paint With A Purpose for Newtown First Responders; October 16, (organization/focus TBA); and November 13, Down Syndrome Support.

2018 Specialty Heart Ornament

Pattie Ptak, president of the Hearts of Hope-Newtown chapter, recently unveiled the charity’s annual 2018 Specialty Hearts design. Created by Sandy Hook artist Ashley Sieling, the design is entitled “Skating on Ram Pasture Pond,” and the image features a pair of figure skaters on ice-covered pond in the center of Newtown. A small, silver ornament with the word Hope is tied to the ornament with white ribbon. The Specialty Hearts are hand-decorated and packaged by scores of Hearts of Hope volunteers as part of annual fundraising activities.

Ornaments are $15 each, and all sales proceeds benefit Hearts of Hope. The ornaments can be purchased online at ourheartsofhope.org, and in person at Sandy Hook Diner, 98 Church Road; and Millstone Ceramic Studio, 318 South Main Street in Newtown.

Hearts of Hope has local grassroots chapters in New Jersey and Connecticut, and volunteers can be found all across the country. The Hearts of Hope Foundation Inc is headquartered in Port Charlotte, Fla.

The unique keepsake gifts have been distributed to hospitals, military bases, nursing homes, police departments, and firehouses, as well as to individuals in need of a message of hope.

Nearly 100,000 hearts have been distributed since 9/11. It is estimated that Hearts of Hope have been seen and experienced by almost one million individuals around the world.

“Creating hope... one heart at a time” is the motto of the nonprofit organization.

For more information, visit ourheartsofhope.org or e-mail info@ourheartsofhope.org.