A Community of Stability Through the Holidays

Brooke Goalen is an intern this semester in St. Anthony’s Social Work Center. She is a senior at Calvin College and a psychology major, and is doing her internship through the Westmont in San Francisco Off-Campus program.

2012 is coming to an end as we approach the holiday season. The end of the year carries many mixed emotions and struggles for everyone. As we enter the holiday season, some people have a positive outlook on the last few months of the year because these months imply holiday food, special gifts, and family gatherings. Unfortunately, the majority of people struggle to keep a positive mindset due to the holidays being associated with busyness, heightened financial strains, family issues, and grievance of those who have passed away (Halal, 2006).

Mental Health America (2006) researched and discovered the top stressors that people experience during a holiday season: “finances, memories of lost loved ones and too many activities.” The other common stressors being: “over-indulgence, being alone, and time with family” (Halal, 2006). The researchers found that these stressors are generally more intense and common in the lives of parents, people of color, and/or people without a college degree (Halal, 2006).

The populations of people that are served at St. Anthony Foundation are no exception to the findings in the aforementioned research. Compared to holidays for the American population as a whole, the holidays for our guests are just as stressful, if not more stressful. Our guests struggle with the same kinds of stressors (finances, being alone, etc.) mentioned in the research, yet also tend fall into some of the population categories in which the stressors can be intensified (Halal, 2006).

At the Social Work Center, staff work to make St. Anthony’s a stable community and a de-stressor throughout the year, but especially during the holiday season. While still continuing with regular food pantry visits, emergency food boxes, and other stabilizing services, the Social Work Center (SWC) strives to make the holidays a less stressful time for our guests by offering different seasonal services and events. The SWC partners with local organizations to provide personalized holiday presents to the families and singles that utilize the Social Work Center. The SWC is also involved in the Curbside Donation Drive, where people from the community can donate food, clothing, and hygiene products to St. Anthony’s. Through generous donations, the SWC has the ability to offer special holiday food to guests, such as turkeys, cranberries, etc. For the SWC clients, the highlight of the holiday season is the SWC Christmas Party. Social Workers can give invitations to their clients for a holiday party where they can have fun, eat delicious food, socialize, and relax amidst the other stressors that may be burdening them during the holidays.

Halal, J. (2006, December 7). Survey Identifies Top Holiday Stressors, Who’s Most Stressed: Finances #1, People of Color Feel It Most. Mental Health America. Retrieved from http://www.nmha.org/index.cfm?objectid=0F7D2087-1372-4D20-C8469F6166842DE3.