[New] Community Matters holds ‘Quichey Christmas’

LAURA MCFARLAND Managing Editor

POWHATAN – Community

Matters ended its time at the Powhatan Rescue Squad Building with a huge helping of holiday cheer.

The resource for all 55 and forward Powhatan residents held an intergenerational holiday party on Wednesday, Dec. 21 that brought together participants and local youth for “A Very Quichey Christmas.” The roughly 50 people in attendance enjoyed caroling, crafts, food and fellowship in the last gathering of 2022 before Community Matters transitioned to the Pocahontas Landmark Center this week.

Program coordinator Jayne Lloyd said the party offered participants time and space to celebrate and feel festive with peers. It also offered interaction with younger generations as youth from Powhatan High School, Passion Community Church and Community Life Church came together to sing, serve and have a good time with partygoers.

“I will always look for ways to incorporate intergenerational interaction in our programming. It bridges an expansive gap in our culture and is such a benefit to all ages,” Lloyd said.

The event began with the local youth singing carols, and they did a wonderful job taking the lead on singing some prepared songs and others on request, Lloyd said.

After the performances, the youth helped the local residents decorate cookies and make ornaments as well as serving lunch and interacting with everyone.

Lloyd asked Kitty Glass of Powhatan to devise an ornament making activity for the group to do and she came up with making reindeer ornaments out of wine corks. After leading the activity, she could sit back and enjoy the party and said she had a wonderful time, especially talking with the local youth.

“The youth made the event. They really did. They were sweet, sweet kids who were happy and laughing a lot and really seemed to enjoy visiting with everybody,” she said.

She added that her husband Bill also attended the party and said “the time flew” because they were having such a good time.

Megan Seagram, youth coordinator of Community Life Church, said their group of 11 joined with the other groups at the party at Lloyd’s invitation and had a wonderful time. The youth enjoyed singing Christmas carols, sharing a lunch of quiche and salad, and helping the Community Matters participants decorate sugar cookies. Most of all, she enjoyed watching them just sit and get to know the older people.

She talked with some of the youth afterward and they had a great time. Reflecting back on when she was child in the Girl Scouts and one of the activities they did was visiting nursing homes, Seagram said it was good to see the teens interacting so well with their elders.

“I heard a couple of the teens say, ‘oh, I’ve been adopted as somebody’s grandkid today!’ They were making friends,” she said. “I hope they got a little more comfortable interacting with the older generations and seeing the value in cross-generational communication and the value in community of all ages.”

Eleanor Delaney of Powhatan is a regular Community Matters participant who moved to Powhatan in May. She talked about how great it was to see the different generations interacting so effortlessly.

“I just enjoyed seeing everybody together – the different age groups – I thought it was great. The teenagers sat right down and helped us. It was like they fit right in,” she said.

During lunch Laurie Hart from Love4Syria brought items crafted by Syrian refugees. She could only stay a short time but many went to her table to hear the story of her work in Jordan and buy last minute knitted Christmas gifts, Lloyd said. Everyone also entered their name for a drawing to win a Christmas gift basket.

Lloyd said the Quichey Christmas was a great end to 2022 as Community Matters moves into 2023 and a new three-day format with more offerings than ever. She expressed special appreciation for the people who helped plan, set up and clean up after the party as well as the youth groups and their leaders who attended.

“It was a wonderful day; for me the reward is always in seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter of those who come,” she said.

One thing Glass said she loves about Community Matters is she gets to meet other people with similar interests in our community and that has sparked friendships beyond the group gatherings.

“Jayne has a variety of different topics and different kinds of activities that we do,” Glass said. “If you are interested you come, and if you are not interested, maybe you come anyway, maybe you don’t. When you really get into the activities and you see other people getting into the same activities, you realize that you could probably enjoy doing some other things together, too.”

Community Matters is always looking for teachers/presenters and activity leaders. New to Powhatan or newly retired? Contact program coordinator Jayne Lloyd at 804-698-0438 if you’d like to connect your knowledge or skills with this community resource for Powhatan’s 55 and forward. “What you have to share is valuable and can enrich the lives of others who want to stay connected, active and continue learning,” she said.

Laura McFarland may be reached at Lmcfarland@powhatantoday. com.

Contributed Report

Let Powhatan Anti-Litter Council (ALC) and Yard Works help you “Go Green” this holiday season! These community partners will offer real Christmas tree recycling free of charge to Powhatan County residents in January.

“Real Christmas trees are a renewable resource that clean our air and water. After the holidays they should be planted, composted or recycled into mulch,” said Matt Kowalski, Virginia Watershed Restoration Scientist with the Chesapeake

Bay Foundation. “Buying a real Christmas tree is also a great way to support local growers this season.”

Recycled trees are most often shredded into mulch to use in landscaping, which eventually breaks down into soil. In Powhatan, Yard Works has collected more than 200 trees on average to as few as 63 trees during a season. ALC is asking residents to give your real trees a life after the holidays by recycling them free at Yard Works.

This tree recycling service has been offered to the

Powhatan community at no cost for more than 18 years. Trees may be brought to the Yard Works in Powhatan, located at 1990 Anderson Highway, between Jan. 3 and 31. Hours for tree dropoffs are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Trees will be ground into mulch. According to Robbie Urbine of Yard Works, “Please make sure trees are free of all lights, tinsel and ornaments.” No artificial trees will be accepted.

For more information, call Yard Works at (804) 639-0311.

Contributed Report

Community Matters is partnering with the Virginia Cooperative Extension again to launch a healthy lifestyle walking initiative for 55+ every Friday (beginning Jan. 6 and ending March 31) called Movers & Pacers at 9 a.m. in the gym- nasium at the Pocahontas Landmark Center, 4290 Anderson Highway.

Participants will track cumulative steps weekly, log in with a facilitator first, then walk in the gym on Fridays throughout winter months.

To register for this program, attend Friday, Jan. 6

Contributed Report

Powhatan County Public Schools (PCPS) will present a panel to discuss ways in which the school division and other community partners are working to keep students safe online and promote digital citizenship.

Topics will include:

„ What PCPS is doing to provide safety on the network and in the classroom; „ Effects of social media on today’s kids; „ Community support from the sheriff’s office perspective; and „ Ways in which parents can protect their kids at home.

The panel will include team at 9 a.m. and then login and walk weekly thereafter. members from PCPS, as well as a representative from the Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office. It will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19 at the Pocahontas Landmark Center. Questions will be solicited from the audience. The event will also be live-streamed on the school division’s YouTube channel.

Meet others in the community finding more ways to stay active this winter!

Contact Jayne Lloyd, program coordinator, at 804698-0438 or RAServices. PVA@gmail.com with any questions.