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Come in as an elf and graduate as Santa at this Christmas workshop in the city
Want to experience the true joy of Christmas? Come volunteer at this Santa Workshop
Whether or not you believe in him, the legend of Santa Claus is one that tugs the strings of nostalgia everytime. Waking up to gifts that you believed the man-in-red had hand-delivered to your bedside, wanting to once see the place where he makes all the gifts, the ambition of working as an elf or as Santa, there is just so much. If you’ve felt the same way before, a workshop in town might just help fulfil your dream.
Called the Santa Workshop, an initiative by Deepanjali Rao of the DeePositive Foundation, it doesn’t believe in the run of the mill - come,donate, leave - module that others follow. The workshop is actually about tons of hugs, bonding, friendship, the joy of hand packing each gift that goes out and of course a masterclass on positivity, gratitude and abundance. “The Santa Workshop isn’t just about the joy of giving, but it is about being a part of an experience. One where you not only give, but also get. A place where you enter as elves and graduate as Santa,” says Rao.
Rao adds that no amount of words that can sell the idea and get people to join, the workshop is the only way of truly experiencing the festive magic, something that the volunteers there agree with. “There is an abundance of positivity and gratitude at the workshop. It is a feeling that just doesn’t want you to leave. At times the warmth is just so alluring that I crib and cry like a baby when I have to leave before others,” says Simran Kaushal, a Dyal Singh College student who was part of the workshop last year too. First timer, Sameer Khan, also seemed really excited. “I knew about the workshop and had seen videos and posts of people having a great time. So, I decided to give it a try. I was greeted with warm hugs and was made to feel comfortable. The volunteers here are a family, if nothing more, and that is the reason that I keep coming back everyday to do my bit. We’re expecting many others to join the family, and everyone is welcome.
The workshop has a theme every year, and this year’s theme takes word play as the tool to spread positivity. “We’ve taken words that generally aren’t well received, and turned them into positive affirmations by breaking them down. Like Distance has been broken into This Stance and so on,” says Rao. “To take the concept a step further, I will also be handing out cheques that we call Tokens of Abundance. All you have to do is write down a desired amount and use the cheque as a tool of affirmation to achieve that goal over the next year. It just takes positivity to another level, and the Santa Workshop stays with you throughout the year.”
So, what are you waiting for? It is time you joined the crazy gang of elves and got workin’!
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