Team Care Force: Holiday Edition

There’s a popular phrase about how hindsight is 2020, but now, so is the present! (Cue all the 2020 vision jokes.) The beginning of a new year is often seen as an opportunity for a fresh start. It’s when people reflect on the past year and resolve to change their behavior – whether it’s starting a new habit or ending an old practice. Keep reading to see the individual goals the Care Force staff and team created to grow in the new year as well as how the team enjoyed their holidays.

What are your plans for the holiday break? What are you most excited about?

Team Care Force

Delaney Pummill: I will be going home to Kansas City, Missouri, for two and a half weeks to spend quality time with my family and friends! I haven’t seen most of them since I moved to Boston back in July. I’m really excited to be home and to see my dog, Tara!! I’m also looking forward to visiting the students I served last year at Central High School on January 7th before I head back to Boston.

Brittany Blackerby: I’ll be traveling to McDonough, GA, to visit my family and friends. I’m especially excited to spend more time with my nephew, who I haven’t seen since May.

Mas Carty: My plan for the holidays is simply relaxing with my family. I am excited to see my sister who I haven’t seen in about 2 years, since she’s been in Guyana.

Molly Rogers: Catching up with family and friends. I’m most excited about taking my nephew to see Disney on Ice.

Johanny Tejada: My plans for the holiday break is to move out!!! Since half my family will be going to the Dominican Republic this year, I will be celebrating this holiday with my best friend and her family.

Ben Carlin: I am traveling to New Jersey to visit family over the break.

Nana Boateng: I will be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my girlfriend’s family. I’m very excited to meet her whole family. I’m really excited to see my family back in Worcester after Christmas.

Care Force Staff

Ted Marquis: I am looking forward to spending time with friends and family.

Chris Farzner: Family holiday festivities in New Hampshire and in Mansfield, and Foxboro, MA. Most excited for Christmas morning and seeing my girls’ reactions and the 30-person family white elephant gift exchange.

Molly Stuber: I’m headed back to Michigan to spend time with family and friends! I’m most excited for relaxing and spending some time with my niece.

Sam Sadlier: Plans: Spending about a week in Ohio with my family.

Most Excited About: My cousin started a comedy and improv show series and a group of my cousins and I are going to see her show. She is one of the funniest humans I know, and I can’t wait to spend some time together with my cousins.

Hugh Harlow: Holiday break, I will be spending most of it with my family in Maine as we have outgrown my parents’ home. I am excited to be with my nieces and nephews and just spend quality time together.

James Simmons: I’ll be doing some housework during the break and spending time with my family.

Does your family have any holiday traditions?

Team Care Force

Delaney Pummill: We always make orange rolls for breakfast on Christmas morning! They’re basically the same as cinnamon rolls except the icing is orange flavored, they’re tasty.

Brittany Blackerby: When I was young, my mom made these giant stockings for my siblings and me. We still use those today, and we do more stocking stuffer items than presents for Christmas. We’ll sit around the living room and empty our stockings out into little piles. It’s my favorite part of the holiday.

Mas Carty: My siblings and I like to pitch in to get our parents something nice. One year we got my dad a customized clock that has all of our names on it.

Molly Rogers: Every year my family opens presents and has a big breakfast at home and then in the afternoon we got to my cousin’s house for dinner and a Yankee Swap. The best gift I ever received at the Yankee swap was a $20 bill.

Johanny Tejada: My family’s tradition is everyone coming together on Christmas eve, having a big dinner, and opening presents as a family, which will probably end at 5am.

Ben Carlin: My family decorates the house together.

Nana Boateng: The closest thing to a tradition that my family has is any holidays parties typically happen at my house.

Care Force Staff

Ted Marquis: Christmas eve is a big night. We have the Italian side of the family Feast of the Seven Fishes Dinner and Yankee Swap. Later, with just the immediate family, we gather round my father as he reads the Night Before Christmas.

Chris Farzner: Two different 30-person family white elephant gift exchanges for both sides of my wife’s family.

Molly Stuber: Every year my stepmom and I made Swedish Kroppkakor, a filled potato dumpling. We’ve been making them for as long as I can remember, grinding the potatoes and making the homemade dumpling dough is a lot of work but always worth it! My siblings and I also used to receive a new ornament every year to hang on the tree as our “first present.”

Sam Sadlier: With my Mom’s side, we spend Christmas Eve together. My dad dresses up as Santa for all the littles (there are like 12 kids under 7) and the adults do a themed White Elephant. It’s just a great time with great food and great people!

Hugh Harlow: One tradition we had for years was opening one gift on Christmas eve and that gift was always pajamas.

James Simmons: Just spending time together as a family.

New Year Resolution

Team Care Force

Delaney Pummill: Read at least 15 books.

Brittany Blackerby: Practice my sign language production and reception skills and be more involved in the Deaf community in Boston.

Mas Carty: Start doing Leadership after City Year (LACY) stuff and hopefully find a job I like!

Molly Rogers: Reconnect with friends that I haven’t talked to in a while.

Johanny Tejada: This year my goal is to be happy and work on myself!

Ben Carlin: Go to the gym more frequently.

Nana Boateng: Start exercising 3 times a week.

Care Force Staff

Ted Marquis: Get in better shape.

Chris Farzner: No new year’s resolutions, sorry.

Molly Stuber: I don’t have an official resolution, but I always do my best to do a bit better reaching out to my friends and family each year. Whether it’s post cards from service event locations or a call here and there. I’m always trying to improve how often I’m connecting with people.

Sam Sadlier: I don’t really do resolutions. Sorry!

Hugh Harlow: My resolution is that I am looking to be more active in the new year and ride my bike to work more often.

James Simmons: To try to live a humble and happy life.