Holiday Photos: Recap

The photo event the CRC hosted went wonderfully. We had about 20 groups show up to get pictures with and without Sparty.  We want to thank everyone who braved the weather and made it out. We are so glad you came and hope you enjoy your photos.  Once again, we would like to thank our photographer Luke, at  Luke Anthony Photograpy for his amazing photos. Before you go on break, remember to figure out how your sidewalks will be shoveled, your house we be locked up (we suggest you ask a neighbor to watch your home), and heat your house so the pipes don't freeze. Have a wonderful break!

Here are some photos from the event--

Winter Coat and Letter Drive Results

Last Sunday the CRC had a table at the Winter Bowl collecting letters for soldiers who cannot come home over the holiday season and coats for the homeless.  The Winter Bowl was a great event and really fun place to be and we saw a lot of success in both coats and letters.  Oddly enough, the total for both at the moment is 78!

However, the coat drive is still going on until the 17th, so there will be even more coats raised than 78 -- something very impressive and indicative of the great community here in East Lansing. If you would still like to donate a coat, bins are located at the following locations: Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbott Road; East Lansing City Hall, 410 Abbott Road; Lansing Community College East, 2827 Eyde Parkway; and Suite 113 in the Student Services Building on the MSU campus (Career Services Network).

We would like to thank the East Lansing community for coming together and helping out with the coat and letter drive.  It was a cold day and not very good conditions for taking off those gloves and writing a letter, but a ton of people still pitched in and wrote a letter or brought a coat.  It was great to see that kind of compassion from our community.

UPDATE: Registration Closed for Free Family Holiday Portraits

UPDATE:

At this time, all time slots for the event have been filled. We look forward to seeing those who have registered at the event! 
Previous Post:

The CRC is hosting a FREE event on Sunday, December 12th from noon to 3pm in Parlor A on the second floor of the Union. A professional photographer will be taking family portraits - free digital prints will be provided, and you can purchase prints or holiday cards at the event.


At this time, all time slots for photos with Sparty have been filled. Space is still available for group photos without Sparty, so this is a great chance to have a professional photo taken of you and your spouse or significant other, or a group of friends or roommates! Since spaces will be limited, you must sign-up in advance to guarantee a time slot for your group. Walk-ins will be accommodated on a space-available basis. Please complete the form here to sign up for your time slot!  

A big thanks to Luke Anthony Photography, who will be doing this photo shoot at a reduced rate to support the work of the Community Relations Coalition!

CRC Hosts Coat and Letter Drive!

The Community Relations Coalition is hosting a Coat and Letter drive this holiday season to help spread goodwill in the community!

Letter Drive

The CRC will be collecting letters or cards for currently deployed service members to be distributed through Operation Gratitude. Letters will be collected on December 5th from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the Winter Bowl Soup and Chili Cook-Off. Our table will be located at the Ann Street Plaza. Letters should be addressed generically ("Dear Hero," "Dear Soldier," etc.) and should not be in an envelope or have postage, as they will be sent in bulk to Operation Gratitude to be screened and mailed to overseas troops. Here are some tips from Operation Gratitude on writing your letter or card:

• letters should fit in a standard size envelope
• include your name and address in the body of the letter
• do not write about politics, religion, death or killing
• please do not use glitter
• keep it upbeat and positive!

Coat Drive

The CRC will also be collecting gently used or new coats to benefit area homeless shelters. Coats will be collected by Advent House and distributed to other agencies in the area through the Greater Lansing Homeless Resolution Network. If you cannot make it to the Winter Bowl on December 5th from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, there will also be bins located at drop-off points leading up to the event (locations TBD - check back for more info soon). Some pointers for donating a coat:

• there is a particular need for adult coats this year, especially nicer coats that can be worn to job interviews to help people get back on their feet
• if you have the means, please have used coats cleaned prior to donating
• if you don't have a coat to donate but would like to participate, you could also donate a small gift card to a department store or Burlington Coat Factory; shelters use these to supplement their coat supply

Last year, the CRC collected 300 coats - let's do our best to beat our record this year!

BYOP: Recap

So the BYOP was extremely successful! Thanks to everyone who made it out. We are fairly certain we will be hosting this event next year. Some pictures are below:

State News covers CRC's BYOP Event

Robbie Couch from the State News joined us for today's BYOP event. Check out the video online here!

Upcoming Event -- BYOP

Pumpkin carving season is upon us!  This Sunday the 24th, a week before Halloween, the CRC is hosting a pumpkin carving event for the community.  Long term residents and children are welcome, and of course, students.  The event is a pumpkin carving event, but with a limited amount of pumpkins!  So bring your own pumpkin or come a little early.  There will be materials on hand to carve pumpkins and clean up.  On top of pumpkin carving, there will be free Uncle John's Cider and Doughnuts.  The event is at the Bailey Pump House and starts at Noon and will go until 1:30 pm.   It will be a great event to come to and get to know your neighbors a little bit better.  So come and join us this Sunday and enjoy some free goodies and have fun carving pumpkins!