It’s fall, y’all – and that means that holidays will be coming up soon. As we think about planning our typical New Garden holiday activities, we want to consider how we will do these safely and inclusively again this year. We want to gather suggestions for new ways of doing our usual activities, and also new things that we can do to connect, be joyful and celebrate. Let’s get creative! A suggestion example is having a Christmas tree to decorate outside this year — we didn’t have one last year. Submit these ideas to the New Ideas Committee, care of Kevin Lawe, who will route them to the appropriate committee whose care that activity may come under, and also Kevin will share with the COVID Advisory group, to consider our safest way forward. Just to start your imagining, here’s a list of some of the typical things that we do around the holidays and how we did them last year:

  • Solstice celebration — was held as usual outside, with hot drinks afterwards outside
  • Caroling at Friends Home — this didn’t happen last year
  • Stockings for friends — curbside pick up & drop off
  • Alternative Giving — done curbside/drive through
  • Decorating the Christmas tree in the meeting room — this wasn’t done last year
  • Simple Christmas — crafts and cookies dough were available for pick up, activities and story reading was done by zoom
  • Christmas Eve service — done by zoom