City residents are prancing on the Courthouse square, while visions of “Be Bloomington” dance in their heads. And volunteers’ crowd community centers of need, and I with my pen, have settled down for a long winter’s dream.

Hundreds of Hoosiers gathered for the city of Bloomington’s 21st Annual Canopy of Lights and Tree of Life switch flick ceremony November 24, showcasing the traditional fuzzy feeling of a clown with sidekick elves, a jolly Santa Clause, and Christmas caroling. Once the merry crowd scattered and Fifth Street melted back to pavement, this reporter was left wondering if Bloomington possessed a common holiday spirit?
Anyone can deck themselves out in green belles and red holly for a community gathering, after all. Maybe, just maybe, the town’s festive glare is really smothered in Bah-humbuggery?

“There is a holiday spirit throughout the year in Bloomington,” said United Way of Monroe County Executive Director Barry Lessow. “To me, the holiday spirit is volunteering personal time and energy for the betterment of the greater community.”

When out from Peoples Park there arose a crazed jingle, citizens of all shades sprung from their abodes to scope out the chatter. Into the night they flew like a protestor, demanding community care for all of our brethren.
Local government, local business, and social service all reasoned to define the holiday season, imploring their fellow man to offer time and energy without tangible reception. When, what to their wide-eyed communal vision did appear, but humanity gathered to offer less fortunate others joy and cheer.

Even though American holiday traditions of mass consumption and object giving has dominated the spirit of Christmas present throughout the land for the last several decades in particular, Lessow said the practice of volunteers organizing themselves to address the needs of local communities is a very strong American tradition dating back to early 19th century life.

“My working definition of a volunteer is someone who gives their time and talent to help create a better community,” Lessow said. “What we see is an increase of volunteerism during the holiday season, but a lot of IU students, whom we rely on as volunteers, go home for the holidays.”

Insert the need here for a swarm of caring community members to abandon the stinginess of Ebenezer Scrooge in favor of the more altruistic George Bailey. Lessow said local social service agencies have a need for community-based volunteers, people who live within the County, not just during holidays.

“Nobody has enough time; that is the reality,” he said. “But I hear volunteers say all the time: ‘Volunteering took time and energy but I got a lot more out of it then they did.’ We can all work to address our community’s critical needs today, while still focusing on how to reduce those critical needs tomorrow and the next day.”

With a caring heart, so passionate and dear, I knew in a moment Bloomington is the real deal. More rapid than the Jordan River our community united, and we held hands, and hugged, and grasped to know unknown others.

“Now! Neighbor, now! Citizen, now! Elephants, and Asses! On! Mayor Kruzan, on! City Council, on! County Council and all people! To give to those less fortunate! To save ourselves! Let’s do something! Do Something! Let’s do something now!”

United Way of Monroe County serves as an umbrella of support to 26 certified member agencies to ensure that Monroe County residents have access to sufficient food, housing, health care, and emergency services, according to monroeunitedway.org, and the organizational mission is “to improve people’s lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community.”

“The holiday season is a special time for most of us because we have the opportunity to be comfortable, spend time with loved ones, and think back on the good times,” he said. “For some people the holiday season does not relieve their hunger or homelessness. Too many individuals and families must choose between heat or food or healthcare.”

In further exploration of a shared community holiday spirit, Bloomington Hospital Home Health and Hospice Director Ellen Surburg said her organization wishes to heal the suffering of others and to fill the voids of our neighbors with life-limiting illnesses.
“We are aware that some people in the community have needs but some people fall through the cracks of Medicare,” she said. “Our goal here is to bring resources and practical support to people to make their lives better. We want everyone we come in contact with to live well as long as they can.”

As ice cycles formed from the dew that did melt, when Bloomington is challenged, the city unites. So throughout the town volunteers did flock, with handfuls of encouragement and arms extended out.

And then, as the Courthouse bells chimed, I heard throughout town, the parading and vocalizing of each new volunteer. As I drew pretty pictures of community spirit in my mind, up and down Walnut and College leapt less fortunate and at-risk others into sight.

Bloomington Hospital Home Health and Hospice is unique in their mission and service considering in there is no other non-profit hospice serving Monroe, Owen, and Greene counties, according to BH officials. Their aim is to care for individuals of any age and any diagnosis during the last stages of a person’s life.

Home Health and Hospice’s Transitions program provides a lifeline to people lacking independent means of survival, although not every patient becomes a hospice client because some people heal enough to regain their grip in society, Surburg said.
“We are working with people and their spirit to help them get the most out of their life,” she said. “For people who have chronic illnesses, they can’t enjoy the holidays or company because of pain. I’ve seen people in so much pain they wanted to die.”

To help facilitate the Home Health and Hospice directive, Bloomington Hospital is dependent upon the community for financial contributions that fuel the “Light Up a Life Tree” on the east lawn of the Courthouse square. Although all 2,000 lights are symbolically lit each night, Surburg said caring community members can make a $15 donation to name one light “In Loving Memory of _____” or “In Honor of _____” or “In Celebration of the Birth of _____.”

“The Tree of Life is truly the community supporting the community. The donated money stays right here,” she said. “We serve people who are very ill, who can’t get out of the house. They need help with the practical things of life: grocery shopping, running errands, rides to church or the doctor. Many of our patients are all alone so we also keep in touch with their families.”

All donors and their inspiration for giving is listed on a board next to the Tree of Life – a list 46 pages long with more than 1,100 names as of November 30. Surburg said about 100 community volunteers provide most of the practical support for the 70 or so Home Health patients and the 50 or so patients in the Transition program.

They were mired in drab cloaks that spoke of their circumstances, and they did not cry out for help as to burden the rest of us. A bundle of suffering hung over their heads, and they looked as though life had taken and not given.

The volunteers eyes, oh, how they gazed at the spectacle! Their pace quickened in step! Their arms still extended, their hearts beating in unison.

Beyond the volunteerism that makes Bloomington shine like a beacon of selfless light throughout Southern Indiana, monetary donations and gift giving are not the only traditions Bloomingtonians can mind.

“The holidays are usually a reflection of ourselves, whether or not we have patience for people we don’t necessarily have a bond with,” said Bloomington resident Vince Heichelbech, general manager of Revolution Bike and Bean. “As a child everything was delightful like the smell of a new Christmas tree and all the candy and nuts. Now as an adult I enjoy the free time to spend with family and friends.”

Heichelbech, who grew up with four brothers and two sisters, said he thinks America has succumbed to a holiday tradition of “buying your Christmas.” With feelings of lost holiday spirit at the expense of commercialism, he said he prefers instead to get people presents they will use including his homemade objects.

“My friends and I tend to focus on used or handmade stuff. There’s a lot of meaning when you give somebody something you’ve made or something they are passionate about, especially if it’s a gift that only a friend would know you needed,” Heichelbech said. “When you give a gift you’re fulfilling your need to say ‘I care.’ It’s difficult to imagine a prepackaged gift from the Mall will say what you want to your son or wife.”

Volunteering backbone straightened firm from the tension, knowing the work that was needed, and their smiles bent beyond their rosy cheek bones. The people in need bowed their heads in a sign of forgiveness, and they knelt in prayer to thank God for Bloomington’s holiday spirit.
The working poor, of which a significant portion belonged, had done their best possible to avoid the handouts. They fell to their knees and released a collective sigh of humility, and I wept when I saw them, despite my own poverty.

Beyond gift giving, whether crafted or sealed, I.U. associate professor of human development and family studies Robert Billingham said the holiday spirit is all too often filled with angst and discontent for folks who lose sight of meaningful traditions.

“Holidays can provide us a sense of connection with everyone in humanity. It goes back to what we used to call being nice: holding the door open for somebody, helping an older lady across the street, or smiling at others and wishing them a ‘good day.’” he said. “Sometimes we worry about whether or not we get the right gifts or if we spent enough money on someone. It’s the giving that’s important, the fact you’ve been remembered by this person. There is a fundamental truth that is the greatest joy people receive is when they self-sacrifice by giving to others.”

Volunteer help and a community lifeline of support, soon gave the at-risk people of Bloomington like the thousands of people without health care some comfort.

The volunteers said nothing as some towns folk complained, but they went straight to work anyway because humanity is not always sane. And together both helper and helpless lifted each other toward the heavens, and together they vowed to spare future generations a similar plight.

For parents wondering how to impress upon their children the importance of a communal, selfless holiday spirit, Billingham recommended families go to social service agencies or religious organizations together to ask: “What activities are being planned and is there room for all of us to participate?”

“Part of the confusion about the meaning of the holiday spirit is the attitude of ‘me getting what I want,’ especially for young people today. We need a new definition of the holiday spirit that gives rather than receives,” he said. “Holidays by definition are centered on family, friends, and community, so true happiness comes when we give up something for others. Saying ‘Merry Christmas’ or ‘Happy Hanukah’ or ‘Happy Kwanza’ is supposed to trigger memories of being nice to people. If we can capture that ‘Oh, be nice’ feeling in March, June, and September, then we have the holiday spirit.”

Volunteer after volunteer gave time and energy, to the greater community they taught a valuable lesson. But I heard them exclaim as they refused to stop caring, “Happy Holidays to all, and to all a good, life supporting community.”