The Center at Donaldson buzzed with activity on Friday, December 13, as The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ welcomed families to its 10th annual Christmas at the Center celebration.
The growing tradition packs the Center full of festive events and activities for families. All the classics, such as writing letters to Santa, taking pictures with him, decorating cookies and so much more. The Sisters of the Poor Handmaids helped out at every activity table, guiding children as they crafted, helping them write their letters, and mingling with the excited parents.
“This has grown each year, little by little,” Joana Reese, social media & marketing coordinator for the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, said. “We like to invite the community out so they can be with the Sisters and engage with them. A lot of people think they can’t come out and visit the Center at Donaldson. If you come here, you’ll feel welcome, and the beautiful campus around us is amazing. All activities and events here will always be free for families to enjoy.”
Some families make the trip out to the Center each year, taking in the new activities and catching up with the Sisters.
“We love seeing the kids' faces,” Reese said. “Especially the Sisters, they just love it. It touches their hearts and they feel so loved when people come out, especially the children. A majority of them were teachers before they began serving. Seeing those smiles when they’re doing activities or eating a cookie, those little precious moments are so important to them.”
One of the Sisters helping out this year was Sister Edith Schneider, who watched over the children as they decorated sugar cookies. She noted that the Christmas season is a special time for many of the Sisters, including her.
“It’s about the joy of celebrating the coming of Christ into the world,” Schneider said. “I will not send Christmas cards that don’t mention Christ, and that have Santa Claus as the big man. Of course, with Christmas comes a New Year – a New Year of peace, even as we see a lot of darkness in our world today. We keep having that hope, to be witnesses, and work for peace in whatever ways we can.”
Schneider joined the children in decorating cookies, using holiday-themed food color markers to cover them in designs and words celebrating the season. Those moments, she said, are an opportunity for the Sisters to reflect on the mission of the Poor Handmaids, which is in part, to serve as a positive force in their community.
“We often think of the Sisters helping others,” she said. “Now, I think a lot about how much our helpers help us.”
One group of Sisters organized a series of story time sessions, relaying the story of the Nativity to the gathered children.
“I hope people take away a sense of peace and joy,” Schneider said. “I hope they take both because of the Sisters and because of the Center's co-workers and residents.”
The Center at Donaldson is open all year, with a calendar packed full of events, such as their massive Easter Egg Hunt at the Center – which the co-workers and Sisters of The Poor Handmaids are already looking forward to.
To learn more about The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ and The Center at Donaldson, visit poorhandmaids.org.
