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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shirley Freyer
Concordia Lutheran Ministries
Tel: 1-724-352-1571 x8266
sfreyer@concordialm.org

Concordia Haven I Residents Enjoying Christmas Season Despite Tragedy

Cabot, PA – When you’ve experienced the joy of the Christmas season for so many years, it’s easy to just go through the motions around this time of year… just don’t tell that to the Concordia Haven I residents.

Despite those residents losing most of their belongings in the Nov. 5 fire, the Christmas spirit is alive and well in the “temporarily permanent” Haven I complex.

“All of us have lived long enough to know what’s important in life, and those material possessions we lost in the fire aren’t,” Haven I resident Larry Milliron said. “What’s important is that we’re all getting through this together, and Concordia has made the transition as easy as possible.”

Haven I resident Ann DiCola said her Christmas season was unaffected by the fire, as she has decorated her room with the decorations Concordia provided to the Haven I residents earlier this month. She said walking down the halls “the spirit of Baby Jesus is everywhere.”

Her friend and fellow Haven I resident Ann Pfeifer agreed, as she just finished up her Christmas cards, which include a personal, hand-written letter inside every card. She said these personal touches are what make the season that much more special.

Concordia has made many efforts to ensure a pleasant, normal Christmas season for the Haven I residents, Milliron said. Whether bringing in extra entertainment, like the Pittsburgh Lutheran Chorus or student dance team Sunny’s Superstars, or holding the annual Cantatas and parties, the Haven I residents have been surrounded by Christmas.

“Everyone at Concordia has bent over backwards to make this new setting our home, and not just a place to stay,” Milliron said. “Everyone from administration to food service to housekeeping has done so much to make this season wonderful for us, and it certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

As ambassadors for Concordia Lutheran Ministries, the Haven I residents have been astonishing, choosing to stay together in a different environment rather than leave their second family, the staff and other residents.

When asked what they wanted for Christmas this year, the responses from Milliron, DiCola, and Pfeifer were identical: health and happiness for all of their friends and family, including everyone involved with Concordia.

“Most of us have the opportunity to stay with family while the building is rebuilt, but why would we want to leave our family here?” Milliron said. “This is our home, and this Christmas means just as much to us as all the others.”