Holidays at Friendship Village

The holidays are a special time of year and one that is treasured at Friendship Village Schaumburg. It is observed however, with sensitivity to the fact that older adults have, not only diverse traditions, but also different sentiments. "The holiday season always brings mixed emotions in a person's life. We hold a mixture of good and bad memories, happy and sad emotions, and the hope that this holiday season will be unique in some way. There is something special about sharing the holidays in a community," said Shawn Kafader, chaplain at Friendship Village. "Neighbors, friends and shared activities seem to invite us into the holiday season with renewed hope that cannot be found when we are alone."

Increasingly, families are finding themselves spread out across the country. At Friendship Village, Kafader said, "we offer a spirit of community in each holiday activity so that no one needs to be alone."

Many religious and non-religious celebrations and activities are planned at Friendship Village during the holiday season, including live music and entertainment as well as worship services. "Because so many diverse faith traditions are represented here, the spiritual team works hard to accommodate them all. We try to be sensitive to all people who will be attending any type of worship service," Kafader said. "Our stand is that we provide religious services in our residents'' traditions.

"Our Chaplain Ministry motto is 'we seek to minister to you in your faith tradition,' and this comes alive at the holidays. Our Christian Advent celebration will begin with an all-community worship event called Advent Hymns and Prayers. Our Friendship Village choir will assist with our all-community Christmas worship. We will light the menorah as we celebrate the first night of Hanukkah," he said. "Finally, we usher in the New Year with an all-community New Year's worship service. Each event assists our residents in making the holiday season a personal and communal celebration."

Kafader is mindful of that fact that the season is one that some people dread due to loneliness and grief from their losses. "Some residents have outlived their families and friends and would be alone for the holidays. So we create more community, more opportunities for people to be together," he said.

During the holiday season, the message that Kafader likes to share with the community is that they should remember and celebrate the traditions that they've had through their lifetimes. "It's a wonderful time to reminisce with people about the memories of their holiday celebrations, the simplicity of gifts they received while growing up, the baking and recipes they had, the traditions they had around their faith," he said. "Some are gone now, but they can create new traditions for themselves and for their families."

Friendship Village is a leading Chicago-area retirement community offering a complete continuum of care including independent living garden homes and apartment homes, as well as assisted living, memory support, skilled care, and short- and long-term rehabilitation services. For more than 35 years, Friendship Village has been providing Chicago area seniors with exceptional retirement living options. For additional information visit www.FriendshipVillage.org