Things to do this week: Tutor workshops, holiday celebration and more

Looking for something to do this week? Here are some of the events happening in Clark and Champaign counties:

Tutor Volunteer Workshops

The Warder Literacy Center, 137 E. High St., will have volunteer tutor workshops from 8 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.

There are five adults, 16 children and several ESL adults from other countries waiting for a tutor. To volunteer, call 937-323-8617.

Funeral Industry Program

The Heritage Center will hold a free virtual program ay 7 p.m. on Wednesday on Zoom about Springfield’s Funerary Industry. Registration can be found at https://cutt.ly/funerary.

The evening will include a Q&A with a representative from Conroy Funeral Home. The modern funerary industry was born out of the devastating toll of the Civil War. Dr. A.A. Baker founded the Springfield Metallic Casket Company in 1886, followed by the Champion Chemical Company in 1888, which made embalming fluid, burial vaults, and other equipment. These businesses made Springfield a national player in the industry, a story important to local history.

Mercy Health Lights of Love

Mercy Health is kicking off the holiday season with its annual Lights of Love Celebrations. The Springfield Regional Medical Center Auxiliary will host the 31st Annual Tree Lighting Service at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The event will include a performance from the Springfield High School choir. The TWIG 13 will host a similar celebration at 5 p.m. on Thursday in front of the main entrance of Mercy Health – Urbana Hospital.

For each event, community members are invited to make a minimum donation of $5 that will help fund charitable care and equipment purchases that help Mercy Health provide quality care to the patients it serves in Clark and Champaign Counties.

In Springfield, donors will have their loved ones’ names put on snowflake ornaments to help decorate one of the Christmas trees in the lobby of SRMC. Those will be on display during the celebration but can be picked up between Dec. 26 and Jan. 3 when trees are taken down. After that, ornaments will be available at the Volunteer office. Those interested in participating can pick up an order form at the Gardenview Gift Shop inside SRMC. You may also call the Volunteer Services office at 937-523-5190 to request an order form in the mail.

In Urbana, TWIG 13 will celebrate donors’ loved ones with a light on the Lights of Love tree. After the tree-lighting, they’ll also receive a Lights of Love keepsake snowflake ornament. Those who can’t attend the actual event, can still arrange for pickup of their ornament by calling the Volunteer Services Office at 937-484-3201.

To find more events, visit www.springfieldnewssun.com/events.

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