CLNA’s Holiday Movie in the Park returned in 2021. For years, we have collaborated with the City of St. Petersburg and TASCO (the City’s Teen Arts, Sports, and Cultural Opportunities program) to bring our community together for the holidays to enjoy an evening under the stars watching a holiday movie. This year, our featured movies were Shrek the Halls and Home Alone. We also coordinated photos with Santa even for our four legged friends! There were crafts for the kids, food, hot chocolate, and a great time had by all!
Chuck Williams and Jim Anderson miss the deeper community they’ve cultivated since retiring to St. Pete from Chicago. But the pair feel lucky to have each other — and warm weather — in this pandemic. Chuck, 63, and Jim, 71, both have chronic underlying health issues and are staying home, like many Florida seniors. “All of a sudden, there was absolutely nothing on our calendar,” Chuck says. The pandemic has kept them away from much of their LGBTQ community, their neighborhood association, other community meetings and cleanups and grocery runs. Now, they see only a small bubble of friends, outside with precautions.⠀Still, they can’t recall their darkest moment from the past seven months. And no shade, but they feel sorry for their single friends.⠀We heard from local seniors about how they’re weathering necessary but often aching isolation in the pandemic. Click the link in our bio for their stories.⠀ 📸 : @DirkShadd / Tampa Bay Times (Oct. 15)
