The Holiday Project Expands Visits in Alexandria, NoVA
Additional Sing-alongs and Christmas Day Visits Bring Companionship and Joy to Patients and Veterans
In response to growing community interest, The Holiday Project has expanded its holiday visit schedule this year, adding more opportunities to bring warmth and companionship to those spending the season in institutional settings.
In Northern Virginia, volunteers will host a Community Sing-A-Long at the Cherrydale Health & Rehabilitation Center in Arlington. A special Christmas Eve visit is also planned for the early afternoon in Reston. On Christmas Day, The Holiday Project will honor veterans with a meaningful morning visit to the VA Medical Center in Washington, DC. Additional visits are also scheduled throughout Maryland on Christmas Day.
Founded in San Francisco in the early 1970s, The Holiday Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to organizing volunteer visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities during the holidays and other significant times of the year. According to Holiday Project President Robin Wiley, “These visits bring the spirit of a holiday to those who otherwise might not have a celebration.”
Each year, approximately 1.5 million Americans spend the holidays in institutional settings, with more than two-thirds having no living relatives. For many, the season can be profoundly lonely, marked by limited opportunities for companionship and connection.
At the same time, many individuals seek meaningful ways to give back during the holidays and reconnect with the true spirit of the season. The Holiday Project bridges this gap, offering an experience that is deeply rewarding for both those visited and the volunteers themselves.
Holiday Project volunteers provide a priceless gift of presence—and often receive something even more meaningful in return. As one volunteer shared, “Now I have only to touch my experience of The Holiday Project to have the holiday season be the way I always wanted it to be.”
Since its founding, The Holiday Project has reached more than 1.5 million people in institutions across the country through holiday visits year-round. For more information or to express interest in volunteering, visit holidayproject.net/events or email [email protected]. Be sure to include your city and state when reaching out.
