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CityLights Launches Team Blog
The CityLights blog is to be an online forum where all participants can post information, discuss issues, and respond to one another. Development and hosting of the site—powered by Blogger—is completely free, and the process of learning how to use the blog is relatively quick and painless. All active CityLights participants should soon be receiving an invitation to join the CityLights team blog; doing so will give you access to start posting information. At this point we won’t give up our permanent website, www.citylights.info –which certainly looks very pretty!—but, because posting new information on that site is more time consuming and labor intensive, we hope that the new site will be used for most of our online needs. We can keep more permanent info on the other site so we don’t have to put a lot of effort into making regular changes to it. You can get to the CityLights blog by clicking here>>

Offset CO2 Emissions At My-climate.com
Are you interested in doing something to offset the harmful greenhouse gases emitted by your air travel? Now you can use the my-climate ticket calculator at www.my-climate.com to calculate your flight's CO2 emissions and also the cost to offset the emissions. For example, New York, NY to Orlando, FL (roundtrip) releases 2,209 pounds of CO2, requiring $31.50 in investment in renewable energy projects to offset.

Volunteer at Symposia Bookstore
Under the capable leadership of Cornel and Carmen Rusu, Symposia Bookstore has thrived in Hoboken for more than five years as a used bookstore and community gathering place. But keeping an independent bookstore solvent takes an incredible amount of work, which is why Symposia is calling for volunteers to contribute some time and energy.

Any efforts will be gratefully welcomed, and Symposia can offer activities to fit the interests of any individual. Volunteers are needed to shelve books, check the prices of books online, watch the store and talk to customers, participate in discussion groups or initiate new groups. Symposia is open every day from 12 to 8pm. To contact Cornel or Carmen, call 201-805-1739 or email info@symposia.us.

Volunteer at 'God's Love'––Thursday nights
Iowaka Barber and Ralph Candelaria are long-term volunteers with "God's Love We Deliver." The mission of GLWD is to improve the health and well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition. GLWD uses volunteers to prepare and deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to people who, because of their illness, are unable to provide meals for themselves.

You are invited to join Iowaka and Ralph as a guest volunteer in the GLWD kitchen any Thursday night from 6-9pm. Just make sure you email or call in advance to participate.

Contact Ralph: 718.334.2794

For more information visit the website: godslovewedeliver.org. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, call 212-294-8104 or email volunteer@glwd.org.

Caroling at Cabrini Medical Center
On December 19, the CityLights Chorale once again sang Christmas carols to the patients of Cabrini Medical Center, located in the Stuyvesant Park area. Chorale leader and organizer Russell Chin assembled the largest group in three years, with 22 vocalists participating. Co-leader Jeremy Price, an experienced conductor of gospel choirs, lent his expertise to the group, instructing them in two new pieces, “Jesus The Light Of The World” and “The Night That Christ Was Born.”

“This is an amazing experience every year,” said Carmen Dumitrescu. “You leave knowing that you really cheered some people up.”

Guided by Cabrini’s volunteer coordinator, the chorale wound its way from one ward to the next and sometimes in and out of patients’ rooms, covering five floors in about an hour and a half. One white-haired gentleman actually danced to the carols. A more common reaction was a smile and a wave.

Russell thanked all the singers for participating, and talked about the possibility of assembling the chorale for another event before a full year passes again. “And this time I mean it!” he said.

To see photos of Caroling at Cabrini, click here.>>

NEIGHBOR 2 NEIGHBOR: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECT
In the summer of 2005, CityLights produced a series of community events in Stuyvesant Park. Dubbed 'Neighbor 2 Neighbor,' this summer project represented CityLights' ongoing effort to be an open and inclusive community. Using activities like art-making, book giveaways, poetry and music as points of contact with fellow New Yorkers, CityLights reached out to meet new people and make new friends.

To read stories and see photos of 'Neighbor 2 Neighbor' events, click here.>>

"I feel truly free to explore and view spirituality in a way that is engaging and meaningful. What makes the experience particularly meaningful to me is that the people who make up CityLights show genuine respect and love for one another, even though they frequently express different viewpoints."

--Carmen

DOING THE WORD

"If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. Men will believe what they see."

--Henry David Thoreau