Members of the University community will have the opportunity to share the holiday spirit through a series of community service initiatives and special events planned for December and January.
A holiday "A Cappella Jam and Toy Drive" performance featuring the Tigressions, Katzenjammers, Tigerlillies, Nassoons, Shere Khan, Roaring 20, Koleinu, Kindred Spirit and Wildcats student groups will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, on the Palmer Square Green. The event is free and open to the public, and attendees are encouraged to bring a new toy to be donated to the YWCA Princeton St. Nicholas Project. Refreshments will be served.
A "Holiday Hoops" food drive will be held at two varsity basketball games at Jadwin Gymnasium, benefiting the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank. Anyone donating a nonperishable food item will receive $5 off the price of a general admission ticket when the Princeton men's basketball team takes on Rutgers at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, and will receive free admission to the women's basketball game against Sacred Heart at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14.
Through Dec. 17, donations of nonperishable food items and personal hygiene products for the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank will be collected at several campus sites: 1 New South; C230 Engineering Quadrangle; Jadwin Gymnasium; Helm Building; MacMillan Building; Robertson Hall; Dillon Gymnasium; 22 Chambers St.; Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory; the Old Graduate College common room; and the 100 level of Frist Campus Center. Items especially needed include canned protein (tuna fish, sardines, salmon and chicken), canned fruit (in light syrup or juice), canned vegetables, rice, Parmalat or other shelf-stable milk, cereal (hot or cold; non- or low-sugar such as Cheerios or raisin bran), toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, soap and toilet paper.
Additionally, campus and local nonprofit groups are participating in initiatives to collect donations including books, games, gift certificates, food, personal care items, toys, winter jackets and sleepwear. Participating organizations are Anchor House/Angel's Wings, the Crisis Ministry of Princeton and Trenton, Community House, Health Care Ministry of Princeton, HomeFront, the YWCA Princeton St. Nicholas Project and Womanspace. For more information about these organizations and donations needed, visit the Office of Community and Regional Affairs website or contact Erin Metro at (609) 258-5144 or emetro@princeton.edu.
In addition, community members can start saving men's and women's business attire for the annual gently used clothing drive planned for January. Details will be announced at a later date.
The outreach initiatives are sponsored by the Office of Community and Regional Affairs, the Office of Human Resources, the Department of Athletics, the Frist Campus Center, the Department of Facilities and the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students.