Holiday Happenings Across Strawberry Fields

For our intellectual disability and mental health residential programs, the holidays were made special thanks to the continued partnership of the State College Area Food Bank. Once again, they provided full Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, including turkeys and all the fixings for each program. Their generosity ensured that every home had what was needed to gather, share a meal, and celebrate together. 

The Christmas meal holds a special place in our Intellectual Disability programs. Known as the annual Holiday Party, it is organized by residential manager Carrie Walker and brings all of our intellectual disability programs together around a home-cooked meal. The celebration is prepared in part by her parents, Dale and Linda Walker, who volunteer their time and talents in the kitchen to make the day possible. 

Carrie shares, “I started hosting the Holiday Party because of one of our program sites where I worked. Many of the residents didn’t have family or had family who lived too far away, so they became part of my own family. I couldn’t bring everyone to my home for a good, home-cooked meal, so I decided to bring the home-cooked meal to them. 

“My mom prepares the turkeys, and each [program] site brings a side dish to share. The best part of the party is when Santa arrives. Santa and his elf come in with gifts for every resident. The look on everyone’s face when Santa and his elf walk through the door is something I look forward to every single year.” 

Across our mental health programs, community generosity brought comfort in meaningful ways. Our Lady of Victory Church shared 100 gift cards for individuals served through our mental health case management program, while Holy Trinity Orthodox Church donated 40 Christmas gifts and 25 Thanksgiving meals for this same group. 

For our case management consumers, these gestures carry particular meaning. They reinforce the trust and relationships our staff build every day by meeting practical needs and creating moments of normalcy during a time of year that can be especially complicated. Being able to share a thoughtful gift or a holiday meal strengthens the relationship-based support at the heart of case management work. 

We are also grateful to Wasson Farm Market for donating beautiful wreaths that decorated our residential programs and added a festive touch throughout the season, creating spaces that felt welcoming and cared for. 

These moments remind our teams, and the people they support, that this work is shared. Thank you to all our donors, partners, volunteers, and friends who helped make the holiday season meaningful across our programs.