A Christmas Eve surprise

It was the night before Christmas, and all was quiet, as our wonderful board member Hitesh Patel and his family arrived, bringing gifts, smiles, and the kind of generosity that fills a home.

We are deeply grateful to Hitesh and his family not only for spending time with our residents, but also for his recent generous donation of new TVs for their rooms, helping make their days more comfortable and connected.

Karen’s holiday caregiver gathering

It’s not often that we get so many of our incredible caregivers in one room at the same time, but this holiday season, we made it happen. The Morning Light Home holiday staff party was a small but deeply meaningful pause in the midst of the important work our caregivers do every day. Thanks to the generosity of our volunteers and board members, who stepped in to cover the operations of the home for a short while, our team was able to gather, laugh, and simply enjoy being together.

We shared delicious food lovingly prepared by our Director of Programming, Karen, who went above and beyond, cooking much of the meal herself and even organizing the always-competitive Singo games. Holiday music filled the room with just the right amount of friendly rivalry, reminding us how special it is to celebrate the season as a community.

Our caregivers give so much of themselves all year long, compassion, patience, kindness, and unwavering dedication. This gathering was a chance to say thank you. We are endlessly grateful for this team and for everyone who helped make this moment of togetherness possible. 

Decorating the home and the door decorating competition

Our dedicated caregivers Abigail and Anya, (bottom right) of the picture helped decorate the whole home. It’s a big task and one they performed beautifully, making sure every resident had their own tree and decorations. 

Cassie, (top left), one of our dedicated caregivers, lovingly made traditional holiday decorations, one for each resident. Complete with baked cookies, dried oranges, ribbon, ‘jingle’ bells, and scented with applesauce and cinnamon. She crafted them in her home to bring in and share. A beautiful expression of kindness from our caregivers who bring deep compassion to their work each day.

Presents under the tree & Christmas Day volunteers

We’d also like to offer a thank you to Evanston Wesleyan Church, and to Angie Weinmann, who led their holiday gift project and made sure our residents were remembered this Christmas with so many beautiful presents that went under the tree to be handed out on Christmas Day. 

Thank you also to our board member Brian Shumaker who dropped off gifts to our residents and to our volunteers who came in on Christmas day to help like Libby!

Santa made a special stop ahead of his big night

We were very happy to host a special visit at the Morning Light Home. Santa stopped by to hand out handmade blankets and gifts, sitting by bedsides and spending time with residents. He was able to help welcome one of our newest residents, Donna.

Another joyful round of Bingo filled the Morning Light Home this holiday season, led by one of our own residents, Doug Smith. Doug has called Morning Light home since early fall, and not long after arriving, he started what has become a beloved weekly tradition, Doug’s Bingo.

What began as little more than just Doug and a caregiver has grown into a lively gathering that now includes fellow residents, team members, and even our neighbors from Pennwood Place Section 8 Housing. It’s a beautiful reminder of how connection and community can grow in the most unexpected ways as seen here at his Christmas bingo extravaganza.

A special thank you to our incredible volunteers Jim and board member Mary, who show up — come snow or sun, to support Doug and make Bingo day something everyone looks forward to. 

Carols from the Carmel Palladium

The beautiful souls from the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts stopped by to offer the gift of music and good cheer to our residents. The singers traveled from Carmel, straight from their home at the Palladium, and went room to room, filling our halls with festive songs, warm moments, and plenty of smiles and toe taps along the way. It was a true highlight of the season for the Morning Light Home.

A Chicken coup for Christmas

Kate celebrated her birthday by decorating the chicken coop for Christmas, making sure everyone (two-legged and feathered alike) is cozy, cared for, and feeling festive through the cold winter weather. Our very busy Social Services Manager, Kate, spends her days supporting residents and walking alongside families and caregivers, but she also happens to be one of the proud caretakers of our nine resident hens, now happily adopted by the Morning Light Home and especially loved by our more mobile residents.

Heartfelt cards from the Morning Light Home’s neighbors 

We’re so grateful to our wonderful neighbors at NCW (National Construction Workforce) for this deeply thoughtful gift to the Morning Light Home. Their staff took the time to write individual, heartfelt cards for our residents, and Angel, NCW’s Culture and Community Engagement Officer, hand-delivered each one, along with cheerful decorations, straight to residents’ rooms. It was a beautiful moment that meant so much to those who call Morning Light home.

A holiday season to remember

In a place where our residents are in their final days, love, dignity, and human connection mean everything. For some, this is the most care and kindness they have experienced for a long time and that is something truly sacred. To everyone who has donated, delivered gifts, volunteered, or shared kindness this December — thank you. From all of us at the Morning Light Home, and from the residents who make this place so special, we hope you had a holiday filled with peace, warmth, and love.