Christmas comes early for Joyce!

Please note: this post is 101 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only

Emily’s been going round to see Joyce every week since June. They’re one of our Love Your Neighbour friendships, and they both spend their days in Vauxhall. Emily, at work and Joyce at home with her dog Poppy. Last week volunteer Emily threw a special Christmas party for Joyce, and we wanted to share their antics with you!

With a little help from friends Jough and Rosie and her sister Sarah, Emily planned a day of fun and festivities, bringing an array of Christmassy treats and party atmosphere into Joyce’s home. Father Christmas, eat your heart out!

“Joyce isn’t doing anything for Christmas Day this year, so I thought it would be a nice idea to bring Christmas to her. We bought her a bottle of Baileys, her favourite drink, and a few little gifts. I even made a mini Christmas dinner for her dog, with pigs in blankets and roast chicken. We had the full works too – canapés, roast dinner, crackers, presents, sherry and Christmas jumpers.

Unsurprisingly, Joyce was absolutely thrilled.

“Emily’s such a lovely girl. I’ve become so attached to her. She organised everything, I didn’t do a thing! She came with her sister, who I’ve wanted to meet for a while now. And she brought her friends too, so there were five of us girls. A proper christmas party! I thoroughly enjoyed it, I really did. We had a right laugh. Can you believe they didn’t go home til gone ten o’clock? I slept well after that, I have to say.

It was so special. The girls brought me chocolate Baileys and we had some of my sherry too. The best bit was when we got in a circle, crossed hands, and pulled crackers together.

Emily is lovely, she’s always smiling. We’re like a couple of kids when we get together. She’s coming round again soon to help me decorate for Christmas and I can’t wait. I’m going to put the card Emily bought me front and centre - she made it out ‘to my new friend Joyce’. It meant a lot to me. I’m so grateful I met her.”

Emily and Joyce have been friends for a few months now and they both look forward to spending time together. For Emily, visiting Joyce is a welcome break from her busy working day, and a chance to hang out with someone who has a lifetime’s worth of stories to tell.  For Joyce, who doesn’t go out much, Emily’s visits have become a highlight of each week.

Spending time with friends, sharing experiences and occasionally getting up to no good, is something many of us crave. When we first met Joyce she felt she was missing out on that side of life in London; but through her shared time with Emily she’s got a ticket to the party again. We can’t wait to hear what Joyce and Emily get up to next!