AIKEN

    First Night Aiken and First Night International are alcohol-free celebrations to usher in the new year. Events begin Dec. 31 at 7 p.m. with a parade downtown. Midnight finale will take place at the Aiken Center for the Arts on Lauren St. Call 803-641-9094 for details.

    CHARLESTON

    52%, a women's political action group, meets the third Monday of each month. The group also meets for happy hour every second Thursday at 5:30 at Kiva Han Cafe & Coffee House, 235 East Bay St., followed by a board meeting (open to all) at 7 p.m.

    Also, volunteers are needed for clinic defense at the Charleston Women's Medical Clinic Saturday mornings, 7:30 — 10 a.m., to protect women from protesters. For information, call 803-853-0052.

    The Center for Women offers support services and enrichment programs for women. Hours are 11 a.m. — 7 p.m. on Mondays; 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. Tues. — Fri. The Center offers a support group for expectant mothers which meets every 2nd and 4th Monday at 11:30 a.m. at 20 Mary St. Call 803-772-4909 for details.

    East Cooper Democrats hold their monthly Democratic Revival on the first Tuesday of each month. Call 803-884-0624 or 884-6312.

    Gamblers Anonymous holds meetings every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church Community Bldg., Rm. 5, 6650 Dorchester Rd. Call the hotline at 803-744-4357.

    For information on gay-related events in your area, contact the Lowcountry Gay and Lesbian Alliance at 803-720-8088 or write: LGLA, P.O. Box 98, Charleston, SC 29402.

    Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) meets the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at Metropolitan Community Church, 2010 Hawthorne Dr. Call 803-856-0577.

    The Poets' Corner is a group for published and unpublished writers. For a calendar of events, send SASE to 5009 Jenkins Ave., N. Charleston, SC 29405.

    Join Lowcountry AIDS Services in the World AIDS Day Candlelight March Dec. 1 at 5:30 p.m. Starting point is the Customs House steps on East Bay St. Call 803-577-2437 for details.

    COLUMBIA

    The Institute for Southern Studies at USC will sponsor a day of special programs for Remembering the Struggle for Civil Rights on Nov. 21. Call 803-777-2340 for details.

    The 6th Annual Columbia Mall 8K Turkey Trot to benefit Harvest Hope Food Bank will be held Nov. 28 at 9 a.m. Call 803-788-4678 for details.

    The Women's Shelter is sponsoring its 17th Annual Souper on Nov. 21 from 5:30 — 7:30 p.m. at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 3200 Trenholm Rd. Cost is $2 for adults, $1 for children. Money raised will help construct the Sister Helen Cullen Community Center, a resource center for women. Call 803-779-4706 for information.

    The Women's Resource Center offers a Legal Information Clinic for Women. An attorney is available Mondays, 5:30 — 6:45 p.m. Cost is $5 per session. Call the YWCA of the Midlands at 803-252-2151 for information.

    Call the Association for Children for Enforcement of Support for information on how to collect child support. Services are free. Call 803-951-7248 (Lexington County) or 803-755-6713 (Richland).

    Need a true-blue pal? Adopt a pet from the Animal Protection League, 6080 Old Leesville Rd. Call 803-783-2119.

    Carolina Cats, a pet rescue foundation, needs temporary homes for cats awaiting adoption. Vet care and supplies provided. Call 803-791-7707. Donations of all kinds are gratefully accepted. Write: P.O. Box 210705, Columbia, SC 29221.

    Columbia Audubon Society sponsors a variety of free events. Call 803-737-7204 or the Audubon Society's Infoline, 803-748-9066.

    The Columbia Zen Group meets Sundays from 6 — 8 p.m. at 2065 Blossom St. Call 803-790-5569 for details.

    Hombres!, a support group for gay men, meets at 7 p.m. Mondays; Les Ms., a confidential group for gay women, meets on Tuesdays at 7 p.m.; and PFLAG, a support group for family members, meets the third Thursday of each month at the Center, 1108 Woodrow St. Call 803-771-7713.

    The Columbia Branch NAACP meets the third Sunday of each month. For details, call 803-256-8771.

    Palmetto AIDS Life Support Services offers confidential support groups for people with HIV; one for HIV+ men and women, one for HIV+ women only. Call 803-779-7257.

    Pets Inc., a pet rescue group in the Midlands that has saved more than 5,000 cats and dogs, needs your support. To make a donation, call 803-749-9391.

    Rape Crisis Network offers a support group for recent adult rape victims every 4th Tuesday at 7 p.m at Richland Memorial. Sessions are free and facilitated by professionals. Call 803-252-8393 for details.

    Vis-a-Vis is a confidential social support group for bisexual women. To assure anonymity, meetings and locations may change regularly. Call 803-771-7713 and leave a first name and phone number stating where and when you may be contacted.

    GREENVILLE

    Our Spirit Stands, a non-profit organization designed to raise funds for the burned churches' rebuilding efforts, will host an exhibition of watercolors and performance poetry at the Village Cafe on Main St. Nov. 24 from 3 — 8 p.m. The Our Spirit Stands poster will also be for sale, the proceeds of which go to the fund.

    The Secular Humanists will meet Nov. 24 at the Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1135 State Park Rd., at 5 p.m. Guy Ottewell of Amnesty International will speak.

    STATEWIDE

    Citizens Opposed to Domestic Abuse offers 24-hour crisis line counseling, emergency shelter and help with orders of protection. Call 1-800-868-2632.

    Call the GI Rights Hotline at 1-800-FYI-95GI to be connected with organizations in your area for assistance and support.

    Rural Southern Voice for Peace offers The Listening Project, conflict resolution training, public education and action. For details, call 803-252-2221.

    Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness offers legal assistance with rights violations. For information, call 1-800-922-5225.

    The Recycle for Gold program lets you recycle your unwanted car simply by calling 1-800-590-1600. The program benefits the donors, the environment and the 11,000 athletes in the S.C. Special Olympics.

    Quaker House offers soldiers help. Want out? AWOL? Homosexual? Call Quaker House at 1-800-FYI-95GI (394-9544) for free, confidential information about your rights and discharge options. Call 803-252-2221 for a Columbia contact.

    The S.C. Center for the Book, dedicated to building a "book culture," has a toll-free number. Fax 803-765-9219 or call 1-888-SC-READS or 803-765-9209 to leave information about a book-related event or to hear a list of upcoming events.

    Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition is dedicated to conserving the region's forests. Dec. 2 is the deadline for citizen input on management of public forests. Send your concerns or suggestions to David Wilson, Sumter National Forest, 4931 Broad River Rd., Columbia, SC 29210-4021. Cal 1-888-8FOREST for more information.    The S.C. Sierra Club holds monthly meetings across the state. Find the group nearest to you and help wage the fight to save South Carolina's environment.

Charleston	1st Thursday	Baruch Auditorium, 284 Calhoun St. 7 p.m.
Clemson	1st Tuesday	Unitarian Church, 226 Pendleton Rd. 7:30 p.m.
Columbia	3rd Monday	Unitarian Church, 2710 Heyward St. 7:30 p.m.
Florence	2nd Thursday	John Calvin Presbyterian, 2000 Marsh Ave. 7:30 p.m.
Greenville	3rd Wednesday	Unitarian Church, 37 Hillcrest Dr. 7:30 p.m.
Hilton Head Island	1st Tuesday	Palmetto Electric Bldg., Matthews Dr. 7:30 p.m.
Murrells Inlet	2nd Monday	Belin Methodist Ed. Bldg., Business 17 7:30 p.m.
Rock Hill	2nd Thursday	Wesley Foundation, corner of Stewart and Park 7:30 p.m.