ACC holds first fall commencement

Austin Community College will host its first December commencement ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday at the Frank Erwin Center, 1701 Red River St.

The college added a second graduation ceremony to accommodate a growing student population. More than 1,200 students applied to graduate this fall, which is a 30 percent increase from the preceding year.

Wilhelmina Delco, a founding trustee, and Exalton Delco Jr., who previously served as the college’s vice president of academic affairs, will give commencement speeches.

Local women’s philanthropy group Impact Austin continues to seek new members before the end of the year to meet its membership goal of 500 women.

The group will give five $100,000 grants to nonprofits if it signs up 500 members by Dec. 31.

“We restart our membership drive every year to sign new members, so this is a very important part of our success in helping us reach our goal of continuing to give five area nonprofits at least $100,000 each every year,” Executive Director Elizabeth Fitzgerald said in a statement.

Since its creation in 2004, Impact Austin has given 35 grants totaling $3.67 million to local organizations in the Austin area. The grants are awarded to the selected nonprofits in June of each year.

For information or to join, visit www.impact-austin.org. a utility-funded program that offers bill-payment assistance to Windermere water and sewer customers whose combined household incomes fall at or below 125 percent of the current federal poverty guideline.

A community-wide registration event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church of Pflugerville, 500 E. Pecan St.

Eligible water customers will each receive a $20 pledge monthly toward their bill. Customers receiving both water and sewer services will receive $40 pledges.

Windermere customers who are unable to attend the registration may contact Windermere Utility at 866-454-2334 to schedule an appointment for assistance.

The annual Pflugerville Fire Department food drive runs until Saturday. Monetary donations and nonperishable food items may be dropped off at 203 E. Pecan St., Pflugerville. Donations of food will also be accepted at any of the four Pflugerville fire stations.

The drive supports Pflugerville-area food banks.

For more information, contact Lt. Tim Wallace at 2512801.