Marion Hummell (left), Sacred Heart Adult Home administrator, and Kristen Woskowicz, enrichment director, help deliver Christmas presents to residence.

Before what most of us consider the holiday season begins, the employees at the Brothers of Mercy campus in Clarence are busy making plans to ensure that Christmas is a very special time for residents in each of the three campus facilities.

It’s almost impossible to walk through the Brothers of Mercy Senior Apartments around Christmas without getting the feeling of a close-knit neighborhood. Apartment doors are decorated and the halls are trimmed with garlands and ornaments. The Christmas tree in the community room is decorated during a festive get-together, and the nearly life-size crèche is displayed next to the building’s main entrance. Mass is celebrated in the chapel.

On Christmas, pockets of laughter and music can be heard in the halls as residents who are not spending the day with loved ones get together to enjoy the holiday.

Employees and residents of the Sacred Heart Adult Home welcome the holidays together. There is a multitude of programs and activities ranging from visits by local carolers, to a Christmas tree trimming program. Residents play an important role in decorating the entire building and often contribute ideas based on their own family traditions. 

“We love to watch our residents’ faces light up when they do the things that they had done for years with their families such as making Christmas cookies or attending a performance of the ‘Nutcracker’ ballet,” said enrichment director Kristen Woskowicz. 

Woskowicz said they also enjoy a lively Christmas party in the dining room featuring special centerpieces made of fresh greenery on each table, live music, and holiday foods. Each resident receives a gift delivered by Santa and an elf.

Brothers of Mercy Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

People often think that decorating a Christmas tree can be a challenge. Imagine having eight trees to decorate. That task is coordinated by the Nursing and Rehabilitation Center’s activities staff. 

“We actually have fun with this,” said activities director Marsha Radka. “We invite local boy and girl scout troops to create ornaments and decorate the trees as part of a friendly competition.” 

The children, staff and residents are served hot chocolate and cookies as the decorations go up. Later, residents pick their favorite tree and the winning troop receives a pizza party.

“Our employees decorate the nursing units, and it’s pretty impressive to see the time and creativity that goes into decorating each unit,” Radka said. “Our residents take pride in ‘their’ unit, but they also enjoy taking family and friends to each floor to look at the other units’ decorations; it’s like looking at all your neighbors’ decorations around the holidays.” 

The long-term care and sub-acute rehabilitation center also hosts a Giving Tree. Employees are encouraged to purchase a small gift to be given to a resident. The gifts are delivered by the activities team just before Christmas. 

“One of the great things about this program is how much both the resident and his or her secret Santa enjoy it,” she said. “Some employees have so much fun they purchase gifts for several residents.” 

Gift items that are donated by individuals, groups, or businesses in the community are also delivered.
The staff makes sure that “Christ” is at the heart of “Christmas” as a Christmas Mass and interfaith worship service are held in the chapel. “It’s also important to strike a balance between holiday programs and our regular programs,” Radka said. “Our residents have favorite programs that we don’t want to forget, and we work hard to avoid holiday overload because Christmas can be a difficult time for some people.”

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the halls are filled with families and friends while classic holiday movies play on the in-house network. 

“Family and friends are important every day,” Radka said, “but especially during the holidays.”

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