The halls of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Eugene (UUCE) were jolly on December 25th thanks to the hard work of community members and the hospitality of church membership. The Christmas Day event was the second iteration of what organizers have named Community Christmas, a mutual aid event dedicated to giving folks in need of community, resources, and love around the holidays a space to access it.

Throughout the day, some 150 guests filtered in and out to enjoy movie screenings, hot meals and drinks, a free store, live music, gift bags for both children and adults, crafts such as wreath and card making, and even complementary cigarettes.

Denise, an organizer for Community Christmas, reflected that, “the people volunteering needed this every bit as much as the people attending. The holidays are hard for so many of us and it felt wonderful to have a place to feel connection, community, and belonging. I have a personal stake in making sure this event continues to happen, because I also need a warm and safe place to be on Christmas.”

For those who are spending the holidays away from family be it by choice or by chance, Community Christmas allowed people to create new memories and chart new traditions this holiday season. In case you missed out, don’t worry: less than a month away is the next Solidarity Share Fair which will also be held at UUCE on Saturday, January 24th.