As Christmas approaches, there is a real hum around the halls of Emmaus Home. Themed Christmas windows to rival Sydney department stores, David Jones and Myer, festive tableaus and decorations are bursting forth from just about every nook and cranny in both the Northside and Southside buildings.

With the support of Manager, Heather Neubauer, Sharmain Peterson and her band of merry elves (aka all the staff at Emmaus) have gone all out to ensure the residents experience the joy and delight of the Christmas seasons without having to leave home.

Sharmain, whose love of all things Christmas is well-known, floated the idea of this year’s Emmaus Christmas decorations being based on the concept of the Myer windows.

“I reminiscence how, as a child, I used to go down the street with my siblings and parents to look at the displays – it gave me much delight and set off my imagination in the lead up to Christmas and so the vision was established in the early hours of one morning – that we could do our own Myer /Emmaus window displays,’ explains Sharmain.

‘So, now the offices from the carpark entrance of Emmaus right around to the Lifestyle office including the laundry and main kitchen have all done a display in their windows or on their doors celebrating this beautiful time of the year.’

‘We have put lights up in each window so residents, who find it difficult to go on a bus outing for an extended period of time, can enjoy the delights of our Christmas displays and lights in the comfortable and familiar Emmaus surroundings with visiting family and friends or staff they know,’ she adds.

The Christmas project has proven to be the pinnacle of teamwork with everyone at Emmaus working extremely hard – the combined effort from management, project team, reception, rosters, pastoral care, AN-ACC, educator, allied health, ancillary, lifestyle kitchen, laundry, bus drivers, carers, and RN’s has, without a doubt, made this a Christmas to remember.

Heather says Emmaus is receiving wonderful feedback from visitors and residents about the Christmas trimmings throughout the hallways, bay windows and in resident spaces.

“On behalf of the wider staff and residents at Emmaus, I thank Sharmain and her merry band who snuck in to start the assembly, paint walls green, and create the magic for all to enjoy. It is a marvel!”, says Heather.

As per Catholic tradition, the Christmas decorations will remain on display until Epiphany (Saturday 6 January) so don’t miss the opportunity to see them before they come down in the days after that.