This 2018 Christmas season, St. Francis Community Services’ Bilingual Youth Program is sharing their musical talents through a holiday concert at Cardinal Ritter Senior Services. As a special treat, children got a visit from Santa at SFCS’ Southside location before the concert, receiving candy canes and sharing what they want for Christmas.
After working for several weeks with parents on their concert, children and their families gathered at SFCS Southside on December 6th to enjoy a meal and rehearse before leaving to sing for the seniors who live at Cardinal Ritter. Almost 50 seniors attended the concert, excited to see the youth perform. Before the concert began, the young performers also distributed Christmas cards they created. Although some of the young performers were nervous (one proclaimed “crowds can be scary!”) they made it through their performance without any mistakes!
The performance had an added layer of importance for Youth Program Coordinator Karina Skrbec. She announced to the seniors, “it is important to me that our kids see grandmas and grandpas because many of their grandparents are living in another country, and they are unable to see them.” Karina and other staff used this opportunity to remind the audience of the hardship that migration and immigration policy brings on extended family relationships. This exchange between Cardinal Ritter Senior Services and St. Francis Community Services demonstrates the positive impact that inter-generational connections can bring about.
