Tag Archive for: Holidays

A holiday riddle: How do Santa and Mrs. Claus get around?

On an icicle built for two!

In a year when quarantine restrictions sidelined many holiday traditions, the Homeland Center team got busy creating new practices – such as delivering holiday riddles to residents in their rooms — and keeping an atmosphere of joy ringing through the halls.

“We’re bringing as much Christmas cheer as we can to the residents,” says Activities Director Aleisha Connors.

A full calendar of events assured that residents in every unit – personal care, skilled care, and Ellenberger – got a healthy, happy dose of holiday fun. Much of the bustle brought activities right to residents’ rooms to help keep them entertained.

Not your typical decorations when it’s in our Main Dining Room!

In the hallways and common areas, members of the Board of Managers – the unique, volunteer board charged with helping maintain Homeland’s renowned homelike atmosphere – brought a festive feeling by hanging greenery and wreaths. Residents were glad to see them (all were COVID-tested before entering). In the Main Dining Room, they decorated a culinary-themed tree, complete with cooking-utensil ornaments and a red chef’s hat tree topper.

“The decorations add a bit of color,” says Board of Managers President Joyce Thomas. “This way, they know it’s Christmas. It’s nice that residents can see those icons that are specific to the holiday.”

As the holidays were underway, Homeland‘s activities included:

• Christmas Sweater Day: Staff usually have an Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest, but this year, they’re encouraged to wear their sweaters on one day. They’ll then go to the rooms delivering holiday cookies and hot chocolate so that residents can see their funny attire.

• Individual gingerbread houses: Staff will help residents make gingerbread houses or gingerbread cookies in their rooms. Before COVID-19, everyone gathered in the Homeland Diner.

• Door decorating contest: Every Homeland Center department was invited to decorate their doors for residents to see and vote on a winner. “That’ll be a fun thing for residents and staff and, hopefully, lift some spirits,” says Connors.

Greetings from our home to yours!

• Photo greeting cards to family: Residents don their favorite holiday apparel and sit for a photoshoot in front of a cheery Christmas display. Each resident gets a copy of the photo, which also gets turned into a personalized card sent to family.

• Christmas cards for soldiers: Director of Personal Care Jennifer Murray suggested that residents send cards to troopmates on active duty with her son, and the residents loved it. Murray shared a photo of her son and his unit so that residents could see the faces of the heroes receiving their cards.

• Holiday coloring contest: Residents color holiday-themed images printed on card stock, and a panel of employees picks a winner for each unit. The winners get a lunch of their choice from a favorite restaurant.

• Caroling in the hallways: The festive mood also includes halls decked with greenery by the Homeland Board of Managers.

• Entertainment: With creativity and planning, residents have enjoyed some of their favorite musical entertainers via Zoom and a young dance troupe performed outside in multiple locations so residents from around the building could enjoy their presentation.

Susquehanna Dance Academy entertaining our residents in very unusual conditions

In November, residents made Thanksgiving cards to send to loved ones, similar to the Christmas cards sent in December. Kristee Myers, the daughter of Homeland resident Maxine Myers, called Aleisha to say that the Thanksgiving card brought tears to her eyes, and she looked forward to holiday greetings.

Opening her mail to find a construction-paper card from Homeland, depicting a turkey in Pilgrim garb and decorated with feathers, “really warmed my heart, and it helped during difficult times,” says Kristee of Susquehanna Township.

“Even during these times, the residents still need to be mobile and active,’’ Myers says. My mother’s always been a helper. It’s wonderful that Homeland helps my mom be the best she can be, especially under the circumstances. It means a lot to my family and me.”

Homeland resident Janet Kepler and students from Nativity School recently collaborated on decorating gingerbread houses.

Growing up on a farm in Mississippi, Sarah Lewis’ family didn’t have money for anything extravagant like a gingerbread house, but there were always sweets for Christmas.

“In our basket, we always had a big stick of peppermint candy,” she remembers.

Homeland Center residents relived the joys of holidays past when students from The Nativity School of Harrisburg arrived to help them decorate gingerbread houses. Students from the nearby Harrisburg middle school have been coming to Homeland for many years, visiting with residents and joining them in bingo.

On this Tuesday afternoon, though, they adorned gingerbread houses with icing, gumdrops, candy canes, and M&Ms. Their creations will enter their school’s gingerbread house contest, competing among other works submitted by the school’s friends and donors.

The weekly visits to Homeland give students a chance “to give back,” said Nativity School Science Teacher Vernal Simms. The kids may be “hellions outside,” but they are always well-behaved at Homeland, he said.

“They’re giving back to people,” he said. “They like the residents and enjoy coming.”

The boys like visiting so much that two seventh graders – Ty’mir Wilkerson and Anthony Lester — asked to join the group of sixth graders coming to Homeland on this day, Vernal noted.

“It’s fun,” said Anthony. “It shows how you can come and help people.” He likes to help his mom on his own, too, cooking and cleaning around the house.
Ty’mir said he likes “giving back to the older folks for everything they did and everything they gave to us when we were young.”

The Nativity School originated when its founders saw a need for a prep school that could start city boys on a pathway to top high schools and colleges, Simms said. After students graduate from eighth grade, scholarships and tuition assistance is available for those attending private and parochial high schools around the region. Some students choose to attend competitive public high schools dedicated to science and technology or the arts.

Sixth grader Yasir Williams likes meeting the Homeland residents.

“They’re very nice,” he said. “They’re caring. They keep you occupied if you want to take your mind off something.”

Yasir’s classmate Jah’mere Belcher, who plays on The Nativity School’s flag football team, was visiting Homeland for the second time. The residents, he said, are “very nice, very caring, very easy to deal with.”

While residents and boys worked together to decorate gingerbread houses, a debate broke out about whether an animal cracker was a camel or not. The boys squeezed frosting from icing bags to put snow on roofs.

“The boys are enjoying it,” said resident Janet Kepler.

“They’re having a good time,” agreed resident Gloria Walters, a former member of Homeland’s Board of Managers. “That’s what counts.”

Gloria didn’t make gingerbread houses as a kid, but there was always “plenty to eat” during the holidays. She recalled family gatherings after she and her siblings were grown.

“The family would come home, and we’d make a big meal,” she said. “I think it made my mom happy that the kids all came home.”

The residents and boys formed bonds as they built their gingerbread houses. Resident Dolores Soles held the hand of Yasir Williams, saying, “I like this boy.” A new Homeland resident, Terry Hayes, called the visitors “a bunch of nice boys.”

“They do good work,” he said. “They’re very organized. “They work well together and have fun together.”

As the gingerbread house-decorating session ended, Terry left the Diner, Homeland’s unique 1950s-style eatery. The boys had put on their coats and were leaving behind him.

“Nice working with you,” he said to one of the boys.

“Bye, Mr. Terry,” the Nativity School student said. “Nice working with you, too.”

Witches – it runs in the family!

“I got candy!”

Kids said it over and over. Whether they got Dum Dums lollipops, Snickers bars, or packs of Smarties, the pint-sized guests of Homeland Center left happy on an eventful evening in late October.

Homeland’s annual trick-or-treat night for the family and friends of staff and residents attracted hundreds of children eager to show off their costumes and, of course, fill bags and buckets with candy distributed by residents.

The 2018 version expanded on past years, with crafts in the 1950s-style Olewine Diner and music in the Main Dining Room.

Children paraded the halls in colorful superhero, cartoon character, and goblin costumes. There were the Tasmanian Devil, Buzz Lightyear, princesses, a police officer, a nurse, and Batman and Robin, although the Dynamic Duo happened to come separately.

One little boy wore a red cap with black chinstrap. “It’s an Easter basket,” said his mom, delighted that he was getting two holidays from one item. “He just put it on as a hat.”

Iola, a Homeland resident, wore a witch hat while she handed out candy. With her daughter, Elaine, in a coordinating witch’s hat, Iola met girls dressed as princesses, one Cleopatra and witches. Iola remembered giving out “a lot of candy” at her home in Pittsburgh. Her neighborhood had a reputation as the area’s best trick-or-treating grounds, she said.

“They came from the other side of town to our street by the carloads,” she said.

The costumed guests grouped in common areas where residents shared candy provided by Homeland. In the Gathering Room, Kristian reminded her daughter, Anaija, to say “trick or treat” as she walked past residents in her bumblebee costume.

Kristian’s aunt, Kimberly, is a Homeland CNA and Kristian said she enjoys visiting with the residents and her daughter looks forward to the annual event.

“We come every year,” she said. “She looks forward to it and on a chilly night we appreciate Homeland providing a safe and fun spot for trick-or-treating.’’

Kimberly, who started working for Homeland more than 20 years ago, first as a temp and then as a full-time CNA in 2016, said the Halloween party is her favorite activity.

“I love it!” she exclaimed. “All the kids in their costumes. The excitement of it all!”

Across the room, Homeland resident Dona cradled her great-granddaughter, 3-month-old Lorelai, dressed in a tiny cow costume. Lorelai’s three cousins also were among the trick-or-treaters. Lorelai’s mother, Lexi, was wearing a pumpkin shirt. She loved the happiness all around, and the opportunity to make the night a family event.

Homeland dietary staffer Asia brought her 5-month-old daughter, Avah. It was Avah’s first Homeland Halloween and she smiled as her mom held her in a baby carrier. “Happy baby,” said her mom. Another Homeland staffer couldn’t resist the little pumpkin that was Avah. “You are the cutest thing!” she said.

Helping kids create Halloween-themed crafts in the Diner was Yan, a Harrisburg High School senior who earns community service hours by volunteering at Homeland. It’s excellent experience as he eyes college and a career in either education or medicine, he said.

“I just come and help and see what I can do,” he said. “It’s pretty fun. I get to know the workers. They’re very carefree, helpful, joyful. And the residents, they’re amazing. I like just talking to them and hearing their stories.”

Outside the Diner, 2-year-old Harmony showed off her spangly red and black dance costume. Her mother, Arielle, is an aide for Homeland Center’s Personal Care residents. She has always enjoyed Homeland Halloween.

“I like that the residents take an active part in the event and I love seeing the turnout from family and friends,’’ she said. “It really shows everyone is very involved.”

She thought Harmony was wandering away and called her back until she realized that Harmony had found someone to give her a treat. Harmony came running back to her mom, a Dum Dums lollipop in her hand.

“I got candy!” she said.