Written by Tanya Terry
For the second year, Communities First, Inc. is hosting a free, family-friendly Holiday Party on Monday, Dec. 22.
Ashley Strozier, family mobility coordinator at Communities First, Inc., pointed out the organization has a tradition of hosting family friendly events in all the areas it serves.
“Whether it’s in Flint, Saginaw or Detroit, we enjoy creating opportunities to bring families together – and to have a good time!” added Strozier. “Why not have a free holiday party on a day there is no school. While the kids are taking off for their Christmas breaks and their holiday breaks, we wanted to make sure we offer the opportunity for families to get together and have some holiday fun!”
Games and activities will be open to all ages.
“Parents will be able to do activities with their children, and we have things that will be inclusive to our older kids,” said Strozier. “…We’ll have a DJ providing live music, and a mixture of fun holiday music and good jams that keep everybody dancin’ and movin.’ We’ll be making some homemade ornaments. We have some crafts you get to snack on later on. We’ll have a photo booth later on – because families should have the opportunity to capture pictures, and to capture smiles, and hold on to them and put them in a frame when they get home! We’ll have some giveaways. We are providing a delicious lunch and some holiday treats. And, of course, we made sure that Santa and Mrs. Claus cleared some time in their schedule to come by our holiday party and say ‘hi’ to all our friends and families.”
The games will include reindeer games.
“So, it will be things that require some moving around, some liveliness and just fun things to do as a family.”
The event is being held through a partnership with Chase for Business, Chase Bank’s business department.
“We also have some other partners that will be participating with us, as well. We have Taste of Heaven, which is a local catering company, founded right here in Genesee County. They are sponsoring our hot cocoa station. And we have other contributions and donations coming in as we speak.”
The food to be provided at the event will all also be free. No raffle tickets are needed to participate in the giveaways. Strozier joked that parents and families can “pay with a smile.”
“There will be plenty of pizza, and salad and holiday treats for everyone. Parents do not need to bring their wallets to this event. We know that families – some of them- have had a difficult time as of lately. So, we’re hoping that this holiday party will lift some spirits and add some holiday cheer, especially to those who may not be as fortunate right now. That’s why this event is free. We wanted to make sure we removed any obstacles from families coming out to have a good time.”
There will even be a “very interactive ” puppet presentation!
“The puppets will be singing some of your favorite holiday tunes.”
The puppets and Santa and Mrs. Claus are expected to make their entrance between 1-2 p.m. So, Strozier suggests families arrive by 1 p.m. if they are hoping not to miss Santa and Mrs. Claus before they go back to the North Pole, as well as to see the puppets.
Strozier shared that at the last holiday party Communities First, Inc. held, each family went home with gingerbread houses to build as a family.
“We gave away some grocery gift cards so families could go shopping, and there were and will be holiday gifts of all sorts. This year, we have other intentional and impactful gifts we’re looking to give away. Some are for children, some are for the big kids and some for the adults. We’re got to keep it a surprise. We don’t know what Santa is bringing! Santa is bringing his best gifts to a Communities First event! I can tell you that.”
The Holiday Party will take place on Monday, December 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the CFI Center, 1110 W. Bristol Road, Flint, MI 48507.
Communities First, Inc. is suggesting and requesting that people pre-register for the party at tinyurl.com/
About Communities First, Inc. (CFI)
Communities First, Inc. is a nonprofit Community Development Corporation. Headquartered in Flint, CFI serves over 35,000 community members across Michigan and Indiana. CFI’s mission is to build healthy, vibrant communities through economic development, affordable housing and innovative programming. More information about Communities First, Inc. can be found at www.communitiesfirstinc.org.
