December 2025 | Vol. 34 Iss. 12
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Herriman
Giving Machines
Columbus Center partners with popular program Page 8
Food drives
Fort Herriman students hope to help with food insecurity Page 10
Holiday service traditions: Herriman residents spread the joy of the season By Elisa Eames | e.eames@mycityjournals.com
Locals bring holiday magic and warmth to firefighters, shelters and care centers.
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erriman is often known for its family-friendly, community-oriented atmosphere and its spirit of volunteering. The growing city has opened its arms to hundreds of refugees and immigrants from around the world and is home to the Herriman branch of the Columbus Adult Education Center, one of only a few completely volunteer-run immigrant centers in the U.S. Where the town shines the most is arguably in the quiet acts of service performed by ordinary residents for those around them. Young and old, people here serve year-round, and helping others can be especially meaningful during the holidays. Often forming cherished traditions, many seek to “give back” for the comforts they enjoy, and others simply want to meet a need or brighten someone’s day. Sweets and treats for first responders Herriman resident Heidi Mendez Harrison’s annual Christmas tradition of taking treats to Herriman firefighters began two years ago. On Christmas Day in 2023, she took chocolates, candied popcorn and a handwritten thank-you card from her whole family to the city’s fire station to express gratitude and appreciation. “I’m just trying to set an example for my kids and grandkids,” Harrison said. “My family just loves that mom/abuela is doing a good deed on Christmas Day.” This Christmas, she will continue the tradition, and her two oldest grandchildren will help in the delivery. “I also wanted to thank our Herriman police,” she said. Though the police station was not open to receive treats when Harrison visited in the past, she plans to try again this year. Smiles, songs and a show Every December, the Hall family in Herriman visits retirement homes to sing Christmas carols. “I did this as a child with my mom,
The Hall, Burrell and Ricks families gather on Thanksgiving Day in 2024 to help spread holiday cheer. (Photo courtesy Sherrie Ricks)
and… [we]… have done it every year and have enjoyed taking our children with us…” Bethany Hall said. “This is one of our favorite Christmas traditions!” Faithfully visiting each resident to chat and sing two or three songs, the family prepares five to 10 musical numbers each year and can even accommodate spontaneous requests. As the children have grown older, the family has added a reenactment of the Nativity story to their performances, complete with musical numbers, costumes and scripture verses. “The senior residents have loved that,” Hall said. She and her family have enchanted residents at Beehive Homes of Herriman, the Lodge at Riverton Assisted Living and Legacy Retirement Residence in South Jordan. For the past
several years, the Ricks family from Herriman, friends of the Halls, has also joined in the caroling. “We have a great time,” Sherrie Ricks said. “Some of us stand and sing. Others sit with residents and encourage them to sing and/or pick carols.” “We have loved visiting with the senior residents and seeing them light up with the beautiful memories that Christmas music brings to mind,” Hall said. Home-cooked turkeys and everyone’s favorite pie While the two families provide much-needed service within Herriman, they also look beyond its borders. The Ricks and Hall families have served
Thanksgiving dinner annually for over 10 years at Salt Lake City’s Palmer Court, a 201-unit apartment complex supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness. “A couple of our neighbors were putting it together and sent out a sign-up,” Ricks said. “We knew right away we wanted to be there.” “We were excited to be a part of it. Our kids were young, and we wanted to help them be a part of a helping and giving tradition,” Hall said. In 2021, the 65-unit Magnolia Apartments opened nearby to serve more unhoused individuals, and the two families welcomed these residents to the Thanksgiving table as well. Members of the Ricks family, including Sherrie’s husband, Continued on Page 4