Who is someone that has lit up your life?

How have you lit up someone else's life?

What does the holiday spirit mean to you?

What is a favorite holiday tradition that includes spending time with others?

This holiday season, CPH is raising money to support the work of some great organizations who are helping families in need. And this is your opportunity to LEARN more about them!

Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless exists to eliminate the root causes of homelessness while loving our diverse community through organizing, advocacy, education and street outreach. For more info, visit: neoch.org.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District's Project ACT provides direct instructional and support services to children and youth residing in temporary emergency shelters, transitional housing, and doubled-up students staying with other families due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar situations. For more info, visit: clevelandmetroschools.org/projectact.

Want to support these causes?
Donate through Venmo (@GIVE-LIGHT) or CashApp ($GivelightCPH)!

Did you enjoy CPH's production of Light It Up! so much that you're ready for more holiday-themed live theatre?
If so, check out the great work being done by some of our Cleveland colleagues in November and December.

• A Christmas Carol at Great Lakes Theater (Nov 26 - Dec 23) (greatlakestheater.org)
• Langston Hughes' Black Nativity at Karamu House (Dec 2 - 24) (karamuhouse.org)
• Elf, The Musical at The Beck Center (Dec 3 - Jan 2) (beckcenter.org)
• 10 Minutes to Midnight: 9 Quirky Plays for the Holidays at Cleveland Public Theatre (Dec 2 - 18) (cptonline.org)
• Or any number of other festive options throughout Northeast Ohio!

Is there someone who has passed away that you'll be missing this holiday season? How did this person LIGHT UP your life? What sorts of holiday traditions did they share with you? Share a photo of this person with Inside CPH (insidecph@clevelandplayhouse.com), plus a few words about how they've affected you, and we'll turn it into an ornament that will hang on a Memorial Tree in our lobby during the Festival of Trees. Here's an example:

"Dr. Harold Tedford was my undergraduate professor of Theatre History who passed away this fall. He lit up every hallway he walked through with his boisterous Southern greetings, his peculiar sayings and aphorisms, and his endless knack for trivia and quirky bits of info. I remember him lighting up one holiday season by doing a one-man, ten-minute version of A Christmas Carol for our class." (Geri Twombly)

30 WAYS FOR 30 DAYS

“Light it up” during the holiday season and beyond - bringing hope, joy, love, and light to your family, friends, workplace, and community. To encourage those efforts, we’ve put together a robust list of suggestions below to get you started over the next couple of weeks! LIGHT IT UP!

• Participate in CPH’s text-to-give initiatives for the Toy Drive or local organizations that work with Cleveland’s homeless population.
• Send a card or letter to someone who may be experiencing loneliness.
• Grab coffee with someone from a different faith tradition and find out how they celebrate the holiday season.
• Stressed out by holiday busyness? Take an hour for some self-care - a nap, some yoga, a winter hike, or anything that replenishes you. Your “better self” will be a gift to someone later in the day.
• Introduce an out-of-towner or newbie to a Cleveland holiday tradition - A Christmas Story House (achristmasstoryhouse.com)!
• Experience the wonder of the holidays at Winterfest 2021 in downtown Cleveland and Public Square (winterfestcle.com)!
• Ask a loved one about an organization whose work is important to them. Make a donation in their honor.
• Organize a group of carolers in your neighborhood and spread some cheer up and down your street.
• Take a moment with friends and family to commemorate loved ones who has passed away, sharing stories and fond memories about what they meant to you.
• Bake a batch of something sweet and surprise someone with a care package!
• Volunteer with a local organization that addresses food scarcity - a soup kitchen, a food pantry, a food bank (foodpantries.org/ci/oh-cleveland).
• Check out the Festival of Trees, right outside in the Allen Theatre lobby!
• Spread some holiday cheer to the Animal Kingdom by visiting Wild Lights at the Akron Zoo (akronzoo.org/wild-lights).
• Brighten a co-worker’s day, leaving them random gifts on their desk or cubicle.
• Did you hear a musical genre in the show and want to learn more? Treat yourself to a new album at your local record store or through iTunes.
• Do you know someone who has to work on a holiday? How can you make their day a bit more special?
• Need an infusion of joy? Take a trip to Castle Noel and be amazed by this year-round, indoor holiday extravaganza (castlenoel.com).
• Grab some friends, jump in a car, and go on a scavenger hunt for the most “lit up” homes in your local community!
• Ask someone about a holiday tradition that is special for them - and find out if you can join them this year. Then return the favor!
• Take part in Operation Giving Tree or Angel Tree in your local community; search online to find the program nearest you.
• Plants need some love too! Visit the GLOW display at Cleveland Botanical Garden (holdenfg.org/cleveland-botanical-garden).
• Get outside, breathe in some fresh air, and build a snowman with some friends! Grab a sled and find a hill! Or hit the ski slopes at Boston Mills!
• Learn more about the wonderful work that Project Act is doing (clevelandmetroschools.org/Page/394); maybe you can connect someone who will benefit from their offerings.
• Getting a new pet as a gift? Check out local pet rescues - and give a furry friend a great life!
• Keep supporting live theatre by seeing a second holiday show produced by another local company.
• Host a holiday gathering or meal for folks who aren’t going to be able to go home for their own holidays.
• One million lights decorating a glorious Tudor manor house? Yes, please! Check out Deck the Halls 2021 at Stan Hywet Hall (stanhywet.org/events/deck-hall-2021-lights-cameras-christmas)!
• Do you know someone with mobility or health issues who could use some extra help with their holiday shopping? Volunteer to accompany them or even shop for them.
• Familiarize yourself with “How You Can Help” on the homepage of the NE Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. And then give it a try! (neoch.org)
• Make a New Year’s resolution that keeps you lighting things up through 2022.