The Evergreens rung in the the season with holiday cards for the homeless and a Christmas show.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year at The Evergreens, a continuing care retirement community in Moorestown, and residents celebrated the holiday season with Christmas music, traditions and good deeds.
Residents and staff joined together next to the Christmas tree in The Evergreens’ Great Hall to write personal messages of hope and goodwill on holiday cards for the homeless in Philadelphia. The Evergreens’ staff and residents wrote out a total of 279 holiday cards, which will be sent to SundayBreakfast Rescue Mission, an organization that has reached out to the homeless in Philadelphia since 1878.
Later in the week, residents entertained family, friends and the rest of The Evergreens’ community with the 18th Annual Resident Christmas Program, which included a Resident Choir Concert and a production of the holiday play, “Rollin in Dough in Mistletoe” by Marietta Slater, which had the audience laughing and joining in to hiss and boo at “the most despicable villain of all time” as he tried to steal Christmas spirit from the townspeople of the village of Mistletoe. Stephanie Allen of The Evergreens directed her fellow residents in the production.
“Our Christmas Program is a cherished event for our community, and we are grateful to our Resident Choir, Choir Director and Accompanist David Little, Assistant Director and resident Patti Rogers, and of course to Director and resident Stephanie Allen for making the wonderful evening possible,” said Doug Halvorsen, President and CEO at The Evergreens. “Their hard work brought a little extra Christmas spirit to us all this year.”
Director Stephanie Allen celebrated her 18th and possibly final year directing the christmas program. She started the program in 2000 after moving in to The Evergreens in 1999.
“This was my swan song,” Allen said. “I’ll be involved in the Christmas Program next year, but it’s time for someone new to direct.”
