An OBI Christmas: Twelve Days, Twelve Ways
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 Blue Page (left) shares a laugh with a volunteer.
 Members participated in tree trimming activities, ate a holiday meal and received gifts from Santa Clause.
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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - It was day 10 of the ‘12 Days of Christmas,’
but you didn’t find any Lords-a-leaping. What one found was a group of OBI
volunteers celebrating Christmas at the ‘Beach House,’ – a facility that
provides advocacy services and a safe-haven to mentally ill adults throughout
the work week.
For the past three years, OBI has partnered with local non-profits and faith-based
organizations to help bring Christmas to residents who are in need throughout the Hampton
Roads community. It is called, “Twelve Days, Twelve Ways;” that is, twelve consecutive
days of outreach activities for 12 different groups, including teenagers in crisis, battered
and abused women living in shelters, the homeless, elderly, and mentally ill. On the 10th day of outreach, volunteers arrived at the Beach House where Operation
Blessing sponsored a full day of tree trimming, gift giving and a holiday meal. A volunteer
described the day’s experience… “We walked through the front door and stopped at the desk to sign in. Several ‘clubhouse
members’ of the Beach House crowded in with excitement and welcomed the growing line of volunteers.
And that’s when I overheard a member telling a volunteer that Elvis would be coming to the party. ‘Maybe Santa,’ I thought to myself and laughed. ‘But certainly not Elvis.’ On the way down the hall to help some members decorate a room ‘Hanukkah-style,’ I was greeted
by a gray-haired gentleman with twinkling eyes and a toothless grin. ‘Hi,’ he said. “My name is
Blue, Blue Page. Blue is not my real name – it’s Andrew – but everybody calls me Blue.” Before I could find out why, I was whisked away to the kitchen to help with the meal preparation.
The members were in for a treat: turkey, ham, gravy, green beans, yams, stuffing, and rolls –
all prepared by one of the members. 'Where did you learn to cook?’ I asked him. ‘My momma and my grandma,’ he said. ‘And my appetite,’ he added as he patted his round belly.
The meal was a success – by the end of the lunch service, all the food had been eaten – including
the spare ham. Afterwards, the members filed down the hall to receive gifts donated by the Beach House and
Operation Blessing. As they turned the corner they were greeted by shouts of ‘Merry Christmas’ from
Santa himself. Santa was also a member of the Beach House, but carefully disguised in a red suit, white beard,
cowboy hat, and a pillow tucked under his shirt for a belly. As the members came forward to collect
their gifts, Santa welcomed them – young and old - to sit on his knee and tell him what they wanted
for Christmas. ‘I want my momma, and peace on earth,’ said one man. ‘Santa, I know you,’ remarked one member who saw through his disguise. Still, each one sat gingerly on his leg – careful not to rest their full weight. They knew they
weren’t kids anymore, but from the looks on their faces, you would have never known. With gifts in hand, everyone made their way back to the main dining area. The DJ stopped the
music to let a member make a special announcement. “Ladies and Gentlemen,” she said. “Let’s give a big hand and welcome our special guest…Elvis!” I was speechless. But sure enough, Elvis did make it to the party – in a classic 70s bell-bottom
white jumpsuit with colored tassels, signature sideburns, and singing ‘Blue Christmas.’ “Do you know any James Taylor?” asked one member. Elvis never heard the request, and instead
finished out his set with ‘Jailhouse Rock.’ It was an unforgettable day spent with unforgettable people. And as we were leaving the Beach
House, we were thanked one final time by all the members and staff of the Beach House, including
Blue. ‘Thanks,’ he said as he hugged the volunteers. ‘Come back and see us again.’ ‘We will,’ I promised. ‘We will.”
How You Can Help You can make a difference in someone's life by partnering with Operation Blessing to help reach those in need.
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