Interfaith of The Woodlands and member congregations are excited to announce that “Up with People”, the global education and community service program for young adults, is coming to The Woodlands, Texas, on May 5, 2008 through May 12, 2008. While in The Woodlands, the “Up with People” cast will participate in many community service projects, stay with local host families and perform an energetic and up lifting stage show on Saturday, May 10, at The Woodlands Pavilion, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Interfaith of The Woodlands and Member Congregations bring “Up With People” on Saturday, May 10 sponsored by The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau. Pictured from left to right is Nelda Blair, Chairman of The Woodlands CVB Board of Directors; Casey Snyder, General Manager for The Woodlands CVB; Patrick Singler, Field Marketing and Operations Manager for Up With People; Ginny Berry, PR/Marketing Coordinator for Interfaith of The Woodlands, and Dr. Ann Snyder, Executive Director for Interfaith of The Woodlands

While in The Woodlands, the “Up with People” cast of young leaders from 26 countries will participate in service impact projects, at Interfaith of The Woodlands and with many other community non-profit organizations. “This event will bring together the community and have a positive impact on all of our lives,” said Dan Hauser, Chair of Interfaith of The Woodlands Board of Directors.

After a week of community participation and learning, the students of “Up with People” will perform a multi-cultural concert, filled with music, song and dance that delivers a message of unity and tolerance. The “Up with People Show” will be held on Saturday, May 10, at the Woodlands Pavilion, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are priced at $15 for adults, $10 for children age 5 through 18 and seniors age 55 and older. Children age 4 and under are free. Proceeds from the concert will benefit Interfaith of The Woodlands. Tickets are available at Interfaith of The Woodlands, the Woodlands Pavilion and through Ticketmaster.

Another part of the “Up with People” experience for the traveling students and supporting staff is to stay with local members of the community to learn hands on about the culture and community they are in. By integrating local and international cultures, host families and students create experiences that neither would have otherwise known, forming relationships and memories that often last a lifetime. Host families may volunteer to take one or more students into their homes for the week-long stay. Families will be asked to provide Up with People students with sleeping accommodations, limited local transportation and most morning and evening meals. As a thank you, each host family will receive two complimentary tickets to the Up with People Show. To become a host family, contact Lori Mercer, Senior Services Coordinator at Interfaith of The Woodlands, at 832-615-8224 or lmercer@woodlandsinterfaith.org.

Up with People provides 110 young adults between 18 to 29 years old from more than 25 countries with an international and intercultural experience that teaches leadership while doing various community service projects and uses the performing arts to deliver messages of hope and goodwill while raising money and awareness for local organizations throughout the world. Up with People was founded in 1965; in the last 40 years 20,000 young people from over 90 countries have visited 3,600 communities in 38 countries, provided 3,400,000 hours of service and impacted 20 million people.

“Interfaith of The Woodlands and our member congregations are thrilled to have ‘“Up with People”’ come to the Woodlands,” shared Dr. Ann Snyder, Executive Director of Interfaith of The Woodlands. “Because of the generosity of 10 individual sponsors and two supporting sponsors, including The Woodlands Development Company and The Woodland Convention and Visitors Bureau, we are able to host this event.”

According to Nelda Blair, Chair of The Woodlands CVB Board of Directors, “The ‘Up With People’ experience is great for this community and The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau is proud to be a part of this event.”
To find out more information on “Up with People” and how you can become involved in this event, contact Interfaith of The Woodlands at 281-367-1230 or view Interfaith’s website atwww.woodlandsinterfaith.orgor Up with People’s website at www.upwithpeople.org