Sights of the Season

Ministry members are reaching out to others during the holiday season, providing care and comfort with foot exams and sturdy new shoes for homeless people and warmth with coat and mitten drives. They are bringing good cheer to patients and their families at tree lightings and carol sing-alongs and spreading joy through community events.

Here's a look at some of the sights and sounds, lights and laughs of CHA members celebrating the 2014 holiday season. Ministry members may contribute to this gallery by emailing Catholic Health World associate editors Julie Minda at [email protected] and Betsy Taylor at [email protected]. Please submit the photos with caption information about the event by Dec. 18.

That's a lot of elves

A high school field house in Danville, Ill., looks a lot like the North Pole as 570 Christmas enthusiasts dressed as elves converge on Nov. 15 to try and break the World Elf-Gathering Record, in an event held by Danville's Presence United Samaritans Medical Center in conjunction with its annual Festival of Trees.

The impressive showing of elves still fell shy of the number needed to break the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of Santa's elves, a distinction currently held by Stockeld Park and Martin House Children's Hospice in the North Yorkshire region of England, where 1,110 elves gathered last year.

But there were elves-a-plenty for a jolly holiday event.

The Presence United Samaritans Medical Center Foundation's Festival of Trees also included children in a show choir, performers presenting The Polar Express story on stage and more elves -- who welcomed children to a candy cane garden.

About 15,000 people took part in the five-day festival, which raised more than $300,000 for outreach programs.

Tree-trimming delight

The Children's Hospital of San Antonio kicks off the Christmas season with a tree-trimming and lighting celebration for patients, their families, staff clinicians and volunteers. A Christmas choir leads a sing along with attendees, who may or may not be sated with cookies and hot cocoa.

Decked halls

Residents of the Amsterdam, N.Y., area find holiday decorating inspiration at five area homes on the "Christmas in November Holiday Home Tour," which benefits St. Mary's Healthcare Auxiliary of Amsterdam.

Gifts for the sole

Just prior to Thanksgiving, Mercy Health physician Dr. Sameh Arebi and his team conduct free foot exams at Cincinnati's City Gospel mission for homeless men and women.

Their efforts are part of the annual "Soles4Souls" event in which Cincinnati-area volunteers provide free food, footwear and foot care to homeless people. It is the Cincinnati-area iteration of the national "Our Hearts to Your Soles" effort that has provided footwear and foot care to more than 24,000 low-income and homeless people in the U.S. since its first event in 2006.

Santa's helpers

Cincinnati-area residents in need can visit one of two special Santa Shops to select free gifts to give their children at the holidays. The shops are organized by Mercy Health - St. Raphael and Mercy Health - St. John, the social service agencies of Mercy Health - Cincinnati. The temporary shops are set up and staffed by volunteers.

Baltimore benefit

In a Baltimore "Our Hearts to Your Soles" event, clinicians with the Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Medical Center provide free foot screenings and footwear to people living at Baltimore's Helping Up Mission.

Tickling the ivories

Gene Rogers is treating Dignity Health St. Mary Medical Center visitors to lively renditions of classic Christmas tunes this month in the Long Beach, Calif., hospital's lobby.

The 30-year St. Mary volunteer said he decided to give the gift of music this year because, he thought, "I figured they do this at Nordstrom. Why not here?"

DC OFFICE

1625 Eye Street NW
Suite 550
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 296-3993

ST. LOUIS OFFICE

4455 Woodson Road
St. Louis, MO 63134
(314) 427-2500

Log in