Thank you 

for giving children & families the gift of hope

Our Community Candle Lighting on December 12th was a great

Fiona creates her own luminaire, decorating a paper bag to place a candle inside

opportunity to pause during this busy season and remember people who are special to us. Friends from our community came together to light candles, share stories, and join in memory activities.

Everyone was invited to contribute a memory to our community poem, which was then read out loud at the end of the evening. This might be a meaningful activity to incorporate into your family's holiday gathering this year. Simply have everyone write down one memory on a slip of paper, collect all of the papers, and have one or more people read your completed family poem.

Candle Lighting Community Poem

I remember the feeling of being twirled by my grandfather,

The scent of my mom's geraniums.

I remember the perfume soft smell my son was wearing 

on his last day,

The way her contagious laughter made me laugh hysterically,

His laugh and the corny jokes he always shared.

I remember the smell of scones on a Sunday morning,

The smell of my father's pipe.

I remember holding his hand as we walked 

luminaires decorated with comforting scenes and memories

down the street,

The smell of my husband's cologne.

I remember the voice of my dad 

singing in the car.

I remember her great taste for sweets,

Flannel pajamas, fanny farmer

chocolates, and baileys irish cream.

I remember singing, cooking, laughing,

talking together.

I remember.

• Conneely Contracting for their help in renovating our art room this summer and their ongoing commitment to The Children's Room.
• Blooms of Hope for making our events memorable and beautiful with their flower displays.
• Arlington Hockey Club, for their outstanding skate-a-thon, which raised over $12,000 for our Memories Walk.
• All our gifted, reliable, caring volunteers (close to 100!), who we could not do without... thank you one and all.