We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth Hogan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Elizabeth, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Working for the St. Louis Christmas Carols Association to promote community singing in an effort to raise money that helps local non-profits do important working for children has been an incredibly impactful project for me. Numerous research studies give evidence that there are significant health benefits to singing and singing with others (lowers cortisol, releases endorphins and oxytocin, improves feelings of belonging, stimulates the vagus nerve, synchronizes heartbeats of a group of people, builds social inclusion and sense of community, and increases breath capacity). I LOVE that our organization’s volunteers get these benefits while doing good for our community – it truly is a Win-Win opportunity.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
After 17 years as a music educator in K-12 and higher education, I stepped into the roll of Executive Director of the StLCCA. My passion for equipping folks to share in the joy of singing together and my love of the city of St. Louis made this role feel like a perfect fit!
The St. Louis Christmas Carols Association has a mission of spreading cheer and helping kids in the St. Louis region. We equip volunteers to go caroling during the holidays and take a collection which is used to offer grants to local non-profit organizations. In 2020, we raised $27,000 for 27 charities doing important work with young people in the metro area. Our organization has been doing this work for 111 years!!! Some of our volunteers have been helping the cause for 60+ years, which is a really special thing… they have incredible stories of the good that our organization has been able to accomplish. It’s also fun to connect new volunteers to the joy of caroling together, and we welcome ANYONE who has a heart to help their neighbors and spread cheer – no singing skill required!
Our organization is unique to St. Louis. We welcome ANYONE of any age and musical ability, from any part of the city to join in our efforts to spread goodwill during the holidays. We are working to bring more awareness to our mission, and to have 222 caroling groups in 2022! We hope you will sign up to go caroling on our website… www.StLChristmasCarols.org
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
In 2020, with Covid impacting our community, our organization deemed it unsafe to continue our caroling efforts. Long-time executive director, Joan Koontz, had also retired just months prior. Luckily, our interim director led our volunteers in an epic pivot to produce a series of virtual caroling telegrams that were delivered via email to family and friends throughout the country. In that challenging year, we were still able to raise $20,000 to distribute to local non-profits, who needed financial support more than ever. 2021 found our organization back to caroling with the caveat that our carolers were masked and singing outdoors. While it is uncomfortable to sing in a mask, our volunteers are so committed to the mission of spreading cheer and helping kids in St. Louis that we still had 111 caroling groups go out into neighborhoods and public spaces around the region, raising $27,000!
Our goal this year is to double that volunteer engagement and have 222 groups go caroling in 2022… Our organization, while small and nimble, also has the capacity to be MIGHTY! We can make a BIG difference in the lives of the children served by our non-profit partner organizations.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
When I was a choir director in a local public school, I had NO IDEA how easy it would be to take my ensemble caroling… our organization provides a Caroling Toolkit and locations, which provides songsheets, instructions, a collection canister, and additional resources to make caroling a really fruitful endeavor for groups that want to do good in the community around the holidays.
Last year, I hosted my usual holiday party at my place, but decided to incorporate an hour of caroling in my neighborhood with my friends before returning to my house for hot cocoa. It was SUPER fun, and even my friends who aren’t performers enjoyed seeing the thankful faces of those who were homebound or lonely during the holiday light up at our arrival.
Personally I experienced some significant family losses in 2019. Having a new holiday activity that focuses on bringing other people joy during a season that can bring feelings of grief and loneliness has been really impactful. it changed up my holiday routine and the spaces with which I was interacting and gave my family and I rejuvenated purpose.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.StLChristmasCarols.org
- Instagram: @stlchristmascarols
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stlchristmascarols/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christmas-carols-association-279012224/
- Twitter: @slcca
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbKokSOk2B7VqPd8r_A1pjg
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/st-louis-christmas-carols-association-saint-louis-2