A festive holiday decorating competition

New Beginnings founder and East Quogue residents, Allyson Scerri and her husband, Stephen, who is also the superintendent of Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Center Moriches, recently held a festive holiday lights competition to bring joy to their residents who suffer from traumatic brain injuries.

New Beginnings is an outpatient facility in Medford as well as a residential facility for people living with TBIs.

Their first annual Christmas Decoration Competition was held on Dec. 11 at all the homes, including the Brendan House, Amber Haven, the Alfred Francis Residence, and the Linda Jean Residence.

“With the opening and operation of our three new homes, we felt it was the perfect moment to establish a tradition that brings everyone together in a meaningful and festive way,” Allyson said. “It is a friendly, uplifting decorating competition between our residential homes.”

Each home, she said, designs and presents its most creative Christmas theme.

“More than a competition, it is a celebration of togetherness, creativity, and the joy that the season brings to our residents and staff,” she added.

The event was created to builid community, connection, and joy within residences.

“Decorating together allows our residents and staff to share in a positive, hands-on experience that strengthens relationships and lifts spirits, especially during a season that can be emotional for many,” she said. “It brings pride, purpose, and a sense of belonging to each home, reminding us of the importance of unity and celebration.”

After decorating, judges visited each home to experience the decorations firsthand, allowing every residence to present its unique creativity in its own space.

The rules are centered on safety, creativity, and teamwork. Each residence must collaborate to create a cohesive Christmas theme throughout their home.

Judges evaluated overall creativity, theme consistency, presentation, use of materials, and the spirit of unity reflected in the final display.

“Above all, the emphasis is on joy, camaraderie, and celebrating the season together,” she added.

The winner was the Brendan House in Riverhead, with Kate DiMeglio as the house mom in charge.

Allyson and her husband started their New Beginnings nonprofit back in 2007, as a center to help those battling traumatic brain injuries.

Unfortunately, TBIs are not unfamiliar in Allyson’s family: her mother died from one after a car accident in 1991 and her father suffered a TBI after a serious motorcycle accident in Florida.

At that point, she wished there was one place for healing. And so, without any medical training, as a former hairdresser, she decided to officially open the center after receiving a call that her father was being wheeled in for brain surgery.
Now, as the founder, CEO, and president of New Beginnings Community Center for Brain Injury, she recently opened two more locations for TBI housing in Wading River. Both locations celebrated their ribbon cuttings in December of last year.

The original locations are an outpatient facility in Medford, which opened in 2013, and the Brendan House, a residential facility in Riverhead for those learning to live with TBI, offering 24-hour care supported by Bayada and All Metro Health Care.

The new locations in Wading River include the center named in honor of her father, who died in 2015: The Alfred Francis Barone Residence and Amber Haven, at 2463 North Wading River Road.

Both Brendan House and Amber Haven are residential homes for disabled people to find hope, while the Alfred Francis residence is both an in-patient facility where rehabilitation, physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy will be offered. The third building, Linda Jean Residence, named after her mother, is focused on palliative care.

Each resident receives 24-hour, one-on-one care, tailored to their specific needs. In addition to round-the-clock medical support, they also offer on-site rehabilitation services, including speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.