At this time of year many of us are reminded of fond time with family and past traditions. However for others these memories can bring about tough times or thoughts. Part of what Bethany does at this time is try to not only respect residents feeling but also provide opportunities for fellowship.
I was fortunate enough to get to be in the house on Christmas we were able to start the day delivering wee gifts to each of the flats. Then we put on several different activities including a movie, devotions, and a few games for people to get involved with. Our Christmas dinner was at mid-afternoon but a bit different then our walk up service, the staff were able to serve everyone for a sit-down "family style" meal. There were lots of similar items to home like turkey, mash potatoes, and carrots but we also had several traditional "UK" items as well. These include pig-in-blanket, which is a bit different instead of bread the sausages have bacon wrapped around, and Christmas Crackers which are "poppers" that when pulled contain a small item, paper crown, and a wee note or joke. It was great to see everyone who came down joined together. You got to see people who normally don't interact having great conversations and joking around. (Pictured is our Christmas dinning set up, the tree at Bethany, and gingerbread house made by residents and staff)
After dinner was wrapped up that evening I hosted our Christmas quiz and other staff created a buffet for snacks during. I think the best part of the day was getting host this there were several residents who don't normally participate that did come down for it. We were able to chat and connect over the quiz. For all the good of the day it was still present some of the hardships that people were going through. Some residents this presented as staying in their room and not coming out for anything others had used drugs or alcohol throughout the day. In these situation we had staff around the flats for people to talk to if they wanted and just to make sure the safety of the house.
All in all I was very glad to get to be on staff that day it allowed me to feel very connected to a home/family feeling. From hanging out in the kitchen while food was bing made, to playing games and having strong discussions on what the right answers are it all fostered a great sense of belonging and connection
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