Invitation to Join the Community Celebration
*SPONSORED CONTENT
Presented by Stone Soup Storytelling and MUSE 134
By: Tracy Sanders, Co-Editor | tracy@thewoodrufftimes.com
For many, Christmas Day is marked by familiar traditions—family meals, laughter around a crowded table, and the comfort of belonging. But for others, the holiday can be painfully quiet. This Christmas, a new gathering in Woodruff is opening its doors with a simple message: no one should have to spend Christmas alone. The Open Christmas Table Woodruff welcomes those who may be alone at the holiday table.
On Christmas Day, December 25, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Stone Soup Storytelling, in partnership with MUSE 134, will host The Open Christmas Table Woodruff, a community meal and fellowship designed especially for those who may be widowed, newly relocated, estranged from family, elderly, single parents, or simply without a place to go on Christmas Day.
At the heart of the gathering is Victoria Stanley, who recently moved to Woodruff and felt called to turn her own experience of loss and loneliness into an invitation for others.
“The Open Christmas Table was created for one simple reason,” Stanley shared. “No one should have to spend Christmas alone.”
The vision is deeply personal. During the height of the COVID pandemic, Stanley was working in a hospital in Myrtle Beach as a single mother. That Christmas, her children were with their father, and rising costs of living had left Stanley and her daughters temporarily living in a hotel. On Christmas Day, she found herself completely alone.
“I ordered a plate from Bob Evans, sat by myself, and wept most of the day,” she said. “In that moment, I made a quiet promise to myself—if I were ever able to create a space where no one else had to feel that kind of loneliness on Christmas, I would do it.”
That promise is now taking shape in Woodruff.
Today, Stanley says she views the stability she has found—notably building her first home and advancing in her career—not as personal achievements, but as blessings meant to be shared.
“To me, success is measured by the ability to impact a life for good,” she said, “and to create connections that truly matter.”
The Open Christmas Table is intentionally not a charity handout or formal program. Instead, organizers describe it as relational—a shared meal, conversation, presence, and community. Guests are invited to come as they are, with no expectations and no explanations required.
The event will be hosted at MUSE 134, located at 134 South Main Street, thanks to the generosity of Tom and Karyn Davies, whose work through MUSE already centers on community, food, and connection. The partnership came together organically after a simple Facebook post sparked a conversation and revealed shared values.
“Through their work, Tom and Karyn already host a community table every third Monday,” organizers said. “Opening that same space for Christmas felt like the perfect fit.”
A full meal will be provided, with Stanley cooking much of the food herself. Attendees are welcome—but not required—to bring a dish. Space is limited to approximately 40–50 people, and registration is strongly encouraged, though organizers say they will do their best to welcome everyone. For those who register but cannot attend in person, there are plans to deliver meals when possible.
Fellowship will include music, conversation, and likely storytelling—simple moments meant to replace isolation with warmth.
Volunteers and food donations are still needed, and community members who would like to help can sign up through an online form. Those wishing to attend the meal are also encouraged to register in advance.
Above all, organizers hope guests leave with one lasting feeling: that they belong.
“Our hope,” Stanley said, “is that people feel a sense of family, togetherness, and connection—that they have a home in Woodruff.”
Where Christmas Finds You
By: Liz Love, Stone Soup Artist in Residence
Woodruff moves in quiet energy ways,
a town in motion, brushing off the dust of yesterday but never forgetting how it settled in the cracks of old bricks
and the folds of memory.
Main Street shines a little brighter now.
Lights hang from lampposts
like they’ve been waiting all year
to say something soft
and something clear.
Shops open with purpose.
Old buildings hold their shape,
but breathe in new life
filled with the buzz of voices,
the shuffle of boots,
the scent of dreams in motion, and morning devotion.
There’s more traffic,
more business,
more people to meet,
but the welcome hasn’t changed.
It still greets you at the door
with a smile, and maybe even a casserole.
This town, just twenty minutes from everywhere, sits closer than that
to what really matters.
Like joy.
And peace.
And someone knowing your dog’s name, even if they don’t know yours yet.
Woodruff gathers with love
like families around tables, bringing what they have to share offering laughter
like a breath of fresh air.
At Christmas,
Woodruff remembers.
The way a candle remembers the match.
It remembers mill days and music,
church bells and cheer.
It remembers when slow was enough
and kindness was clear.
And in the middle of all this new,
the heart of the town stays true,
steady as a drumbeat,
familiar as the creak of a porch swing,
warm as cider shared between strangers
who stop being strangers by the time it’s gone.
Here, Christmas isn’t just a season.
It’s a reflection of the people showing the glow and what has grown.
Wrapped in garland
Shiny like a star
Come celebrate with us,
It’s not that far.
Author: Tracy Sanders
