Chris Santaguida, who is on the pastoral staff of Eastmont Church in Bend, says some elderly people are especially lonely this time of year, and the chance to go sing and celebrate with them is a special experience for all involved. He says giving is what the season should be all about. "Christmas, it is a time to give and receive, and I think it's great for the children to give love and attention to people who maybe don't receive a lot of it at this time of year, and they can maybe be forgotten, and of course the kids receive the blessing of realizing they've been used by Jesus to spread and share some joy."

 

Santaguida says the chance for the kids to go visit the elderly during this time of year and share Christmas with them makes everybody happy. "It's really a blessing to be present when the kids come in and they start singing, you can literally see the spirits of the people who are present, you can see their sprits being lifted, and the smiles come across their faces, because they're so overjoyed and the joy of the kids is pretty contagious."

 

Eastmont's kids, their parents, and the pastoral staff will make the rounds to several elder care facilities this Saturday, singing carols, sharing the Nativity story, and celebrating the joy of the season.