On Tuesday December 13th, Chroma was fortunate to have a warm and wonderful holiday drop-in party at the Nick Nicolle Community Centre operated by The ONE Change Inc. This building in the north end of our lovely city was the perfect venue for a festive drop in.
The evening stared with our amazing and hard-working staff Mariah and Daniel setting up the space and adding Chroma photos from the year gone by as well as setting out tasty snacks and preparing the hot cider. Kailer and Blair arrived shortly after set-up was finished, having come directly from the Rainbow Connections lunch club uptown. Nothing is more essential for holiday joy than hot cider or cocoa and Mariah makes the best in the city.
There were festive activities a plenty during the drop in! Kailer had an arms day as he helped attendees make buttons with the stubborn button press. Everyone loved creating their own button designs as well as taking home the premade (again, by Kailer) pronoun and ally pins. The “kids” (forgive me, youth!) had a blast covering themselves in decorations and stickers, proving that art is interoperative and subjective and one can create their own craft outside of the supplied suggestions. In addition to button making and teenage face decorating, there were a plethora of holiday cards created by the guests of the drop-in. Chroma loves creativity!
The best part of any gathering, event or party are the conversations and connections had and made by everyone who attends. Friends and family, community members and allies, people of all ages and backgrounds coming together to chat, snack, smile and laugh. Chroma is fortunate to have such a magnificent circle of people that is forever growing. Remember family can take all forms and we love each and every one of you in our community.
“There’s not a word yet, for old friends who’ve just met.” – Jim Henson
Chroma: Pride, Inclusion, Equality Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides support for 2SLGBTQIA+ people in the Saint John Region. Chroma commits to advocating for and collaborating with our community, as well as providing 2SLGBTQIA+ education to all. We promote positive initiatives for the community and conduct research to highlight gaps in services and policy to encourage positive change.