The Christmas LIFE 2025 Posted on January 2, 2026 The holidays don’t need to be big to be special. Sometimes they look like turning a cookie tradition into something playful and healthy, Santa and the Grinch showing up to deliver gifts, or a quiet walk through glowing trees that makes you slow down and smile. That’s what unfolded across LIFE Programs this season, as staff and participants created genuine and unplanned moments that reflected how well people know one another and how much they care about making the season meaningful. LIFE Beaver County Who doesn’t love cookies this time of year? We know Santa sure does! And while LIFE Beaver County fully believes in the magic of Santa, they also believe in sprinkling a little holiday spirit onto healthier choices. So this season, the LIFE Beaver center put a playful twist on a cookie tradition with the “No Cookies for Santa” Nutrition Bulletin Board. Instead of decorating gingerbread cookies for Santa to snack on, participants were challenged to disguise their gingerbread men to help keep Santa just a bit more fit for his Christmas Eve journey. They delivered creativity worthy of the North Pole. Suddenly, their gingerbread “cookies” weren’t cookies at all… they were dragons, snowmen, Rudolph, and even a warm and fuzzy teddy bear. And yes, Santa never saw them coming. “Healthy habits don’t have to replace holiday fun; they can inspire it,” shared Joelle Patterson, RD, LDN, Clinical Dietitian at LIFE Beaver County. By turning a simple activity into an imaginative challenge, we show that nutrition education doesn’t have to be serious to make an impact.” It’s okay Santa, you can still have your milk. LIFE Butler County LIFE Butler County staff went all in spreading Christmas magic, delivering gifts with Santa himself and our Head Elf, Ingrid, who may have been more excited than kids on Christmas morning. Santa’s cheerful visit, as well as Grinch Santa, delivered gifts that brought laughter, brightened days, and created holiday memories for the older adults we serve. A special thanks to Santa and his incredible helpers, and to our LIFE Butler County team, for making the holidays unforgettable. LIFE Lawrence County LIFE Lawrence County participants stepped straight into the heart of Christmas at the 10th Annual Lawrence County Festival of Trees at Neshannock School. With each step from one display to the next, they were surrounded by glowing trees and creative gingerbread houses that invited everyone to slow down, look closer, and enjoy the season. Now in their third year attending the festival, LIFE Lawrence County has turned this visit into a meaningful tradition. “I plan on making it an annual tradition,” said Lisa Scheidemantle, Recreation Therapy Manager for LIFE Lawrence County. Sometimes, the best holiday moments don’t come wrapped in paper. They come wrapped in lights and the simple joy of being together.