The holidays are here, with Thanksgiving being so late this year everything seems upon us sooner than we are ready. We are working hard to make sure that everyone who is with us has the best holiday and is able to celebrate in the way that they choose. Whether they celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas or any other celebration, we want it to be special for them. Being in shelter during the holidays can be tough for families. There are traditions and expectations of being with family and when one is in shelter those traditions can be difficult to celebrate and to maintain.

We have had many groups volunteering for us. Some help out in the holiday store, some host toy and food drives, and other are hosting holiday parties for those in our services. One gentleman dropped by with seven Christmas trees - complete with lights - to donate to those in our outreach program or for those just leaving shelter and who may not have a tree. We’ve had groups do collection drives for us and when they've dropped the donations off they were just as excited to give the gifts as we were to receive them!

The holidays have a special magic to them and people in our community are so generous with their time and resources. We are grateful for the support that we receive. Thank you to this wonderful community for helping us to make sure no one goes without. Mothers do not have to worry about how they are going to provide a holiday meal for their family or how they’re going to make sure Santa comes to their house or to shelter. Somehow Santa finds them no matter where they are and, even if for just a short while, the adults can put their worries aside and enjoy the season.

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year as we celebrate everyone’s uniqueness and share our good fortunes with those who are less fortunate. Thank you for sharing this season with us and making a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Happy holidays!

Celebrating Traditions

It is that time of year and everyone is gearing up for the holidays. Our clients have many different traditions this time of year. We work hard to make sure that everyone’s traditions are honored, and they are given the opportunity to celebrate.

We work with clients from all faiths and each has its own unique traditions. We have a committee that works on ensuring the environment at Hope House is representative of who the clients are, and where they come from. At this time of year, we typically celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

We are working to educate ourselves on the many other holidays that occur during this season, as well as throughout the year. We welcome information on traditions of which we may not be aware.

Our goal is to be a safe place for people to come and be themselves, and to give them the opportunity to carry on their traditions, or create new ones. We do not have a script of what they should or shouldn’t do, but celebrate with them in the way that makes them most comfortable.

It is a great opportunity for us to learn new beliefs and learn of the experiences our clients have had that have helped shape who they are today. What a gift to be able to do that with our clients and grow with them.

We are looking forward to this most celebrated season and sharing in our clients’ joy of the season - whatever that looks like for them.