Wrapping up —Temperatures are dropping, and heating prices are rising, so the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services is doing something to help those hurt by weather and greed. ACCESS is accepting donations of new blankets or cash to buy them — at $23 each — for distribution to needy families with children. For more information, or to make a cash donation, contact Zeinab Sobh at 313-945-8119. You can drop off blankets at the ACCESS One-Stop Employment and Human Resources Center, 6451 Schaefer Rd., Dearborn.

Serious play — If you’re in the mood for theater with a serious turn, the Race Relations & Diversity Task Force of the Birmingham-Bloomfield area is presenting Lay Your Comfort Down Dec. 1 at the Community House in Birmingham. The play is set in Prince Edward County, Va., during a 1951 Supreme Court case concerning segregation in the school district — one of five cases the court considered before declaring segregation unconstitutional in 1954. Written by Michigan playwright and director Ben Cohen, the play mixes performance poetry with period drama and new young voices with professional actors. The evening will end with a dialogue between the audience, the theater company and task force members on the issues of racism and discrimination. The Community House is located at 380 S. Bates St. in Birmingham. Showtime is 7 p.m., and a donation — $5 for adults, $2 for students — will be collected at the door. For reservations or more information, 248-644-5832.

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