Welcome to Patch 101, our primer to help users learn how to get the most out of Patch.

Unlike many news websites, Patch invites its readers to contribute in more ways than just commenting. Were you at the scene of one of our reports? Add some pictures to our story. Want to talk about something that's not in the news? Start a blog. We can even help you find your lost pet.

One of the requests we receive most often is to add an event to our calendar. But you don’t need to wait for us — you can do it yourself in seconds.

Here’s how:

1. Make sure you’re signed in under your Patch account.
2. Click on the Barrow Patch events calendar and click “add an event.”
3. Fill out the fields, including the title, date, times, description and address. (Patch tip: Fill in the address form with the complete street address. If the system won’t recognize your location, be sure to use the full street, town, state and ZIP code.)
4. Check off the appropriate categories — sports, arts, garage sale, etc. — and fill out any extra info, such as a website site or contact phone number.
5. Click save and presto, your event is posted. It will go out in our daily newsletter for maximum reach.

Whether you’re part of a community group, a nonprofit, a business, a school, a town department or a theater group, we want to know about your upcoming events. And, more importantly, so do your neighbors.

Subscribe to Barrow Patch’s newsletters, follow us on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook.