Home For a Holiday Lunch with Deptford Center

by Jeff Jacomowitz

Today in frigid Westville, Deptford Center's Recreation Director Paige Doumenis treated ten of her assisted living residents as guests for a gorgeous holiday lunch at her beautiful Gloucester County home on West Olive Street. Being dubbed, "Home For a Holiday Lunch with Deptford Center", Ms. Doumenis' guests included residents and a number of her helping staff whereby she served a delicious menu of turkey, stuffing, gravy, honey ham, mashed potatoes, string bean almondine, apple sauce, pickles and olives and finally Hawaiian rolls.

(Paige Doumenis Opens Her Home to Her Residents)

"Some of our residents don’t have the opportunity to go home for the holidays, which is hard for them," explained Doumenis. "They haven’t sat in front of a crackling fire or smelled a real Christmas Tree in years. Reminiscing about those things are just not the same, so since they are like my family, I bring them home with me to experience these things and create more memories! They are already looking forward to next year!"

(L-to-R: Resident Eagles fans Brian Driscoll with Mark Effinger)

The "Home For a Holiday Lunch with Deptford Center" special outing also featured holiday music playing throughout the Doumenis residence. If there was still room, lunch was capped off with a delicious holiday dessert including Christmas cookies, chocolate covered cream puffs and mini eclairs, plus coffee, tea, hot apple cider, eggnog and hot chocolate.

(All photos: Courtesy of Deptford Center)