BRING JOY TO THOSE IN NEED! The Erie Playhouse is thrilled to once again partner with Community Shelter Services to make the holiday brighter for Erie’s homeless community. We will decorate our Angel Tree, fondly named MAURICE, in memory of Alan Koch and Al Braun who played the role of Maurice in the 2004 and 2005 production of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST respectively.
We will decorate the tree with Gift Tags with the names of every person who donates a Gift Card. Our wish is to give a gift card to every resident housed in one of Community Shelter Services’ facilities during Christmas.
We are accepting Gift Cards in any amount to any business of your choice. The most requested Gift Cards are to Arby’s, Country Fair, Flagship Food Hall, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s, Panera, Sheetz, Subway, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Target, and Walmart.
If it is more convenient, our volunteers will gladly accept your monetary donation and buy the gift card for you.
● Drop off the gift card(s) or donation at the box office during box office hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a..m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
● Visit MAURICE in the Lincoln Family Lobby during a performance of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, on stage December 6 – 22, and a volunteer will accept your gift and hang your Christmas tree tag on the Angel Tree.
● Gift cards and donations will be accepted December 1 – 22. On December 23, we will deliver the gift cards and Christmas tree tags to Community Shelter Services.
To learn more about Community Shelter Services, its mission, programs, and how you can help our homeless neighbors, please visit communityshelter.org.
More about COMMUNITY SHELTER SERVICES, our Angel Tree Partner.
For more than 50 years, Community Shelter Services has been rebuilding lives by providing a pathway to housing and offering help and hope for men, women, children, and families experiencing homelessness and poverty. By being open 24/7, 365 days a year, Community Shelter Services helps individuals meet their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. On-site social workers address behavioral health, housing, and employment needs as they guide their clients to achieve renewed lives of dignity and self-determination. The agency’s most recent initiative is adding to the Kiwanis Family Village.
In the course of 12 months, Community Shelter Services has
● Provided 91,250 safe nights of sleep
● Served 90,002 meals
● Housed 90 families
● Sheltered 215 children
● Established the Kiwanis Family Village of Tiny Homes – nine on site now – two sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Erie, and one by Erie Insurance, Housing Authority of the City of Erie, Renewal by Andersen, Mayor & Mrs. Joe Schember, The Susan Morse Family and anonymous donors.
● Opened the Kiwanis Caring Kitchen in July 2024 that serves three meals a day, seven days a week and is open to the whole neighborhood.
● Breakfast: Serve 15 – 20 people
● Lunch: Serve 20 – 30 people
● Dinner: Serve 40 – 60 people
● Accepting grab & go donations for the KCK: to-go containers, paper products, individual bags of chips, Uncrustables, Lunchables, water and juice.
