A local nonprofit is spreading Christmas joy to the community, bringing the North Pole to one of their locations Sunday.
The Erie United Methodist Alliance (EUMA) hosted a Christmas party this afternoon to bring holiday cheer to local families facing homelessness.
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The Refuge Emergency Shelter on East 26th is a place for the homeless to seek warmth and comfort, but on Sunday that shelter became a winter wonderland.
While many families face homelessness during the holiday season, the Erie United Methodist Alliance hosted a Christmas party to spread holiday cheer during a challenging time.
“The goal of today’s event is to make the holidays feel a bit more normal for people who are in a time of crisis. A lot of our clients have actually shared that Christmastime at the shelter feels better because we make it a big thing,” said Erika DePalma, EUMA’s director of development and marketing.
And Christmas is indeed a “big thing” for the 36 people at the refuge house, with Christmas cookies, arts & crafts, visits from Santa, and Christmas caroling taking over the shelter.