Louisville, New Albany women help decorate the White House

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - It’s Christmas time at the White House, and two local women were chosen by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden to help decorate it.

From Louisville and New Albany to Pennsylvania Avenue, the women were two of more than 150 volunteers that got to decorate the public rooms of the nation’s most recognizable building.

The theme for the decorations this year is “We the People.”

“I’ve seen it everywhere I’ve gone,” Biden said. “When our country comes together, we are stronger.”

The volunteers came together at the White House during the Thanksgiving holiday. That’s where they decorated the many rooms of the Presidential building.

“They changed a few of the themes as we were decorating and painting and DIYing, so some things had to be redone,” Teresa Williams said. “And then redone again. But you’re in the White House and you look around and you’re just like, I don’t care, I’ll paint this a hundred times.”

Williams is from Louisville, and she took some Kentucky culture with her. She said it’s been super fun, exciting and humbling.

Vanessa Bahena is from right across the bridge in New Albany.

“The really neat thing about everything that’s been decorated is there’s been so much heart into it,” Bahena said. “Volunteers have been handcutting confetti, making ornaments, painting stripes, it’s all really been done with a lot of love, which has been really neat to be a part of,” said.

Bahena embraces the “We the People” theme and said it’s very important.

“I think our family is a family of immigrants, and so realizing that you come to this country seeking opportunity and that you see all that reflected in how it’s been decorated this year, not just for people who look like me or have my background, but everyone,” Bahena said. “All religions, everything has been present this week.”

There are 77 Christmas trees in the White House with over 80,000 lights decorating them.

The White House is expecting 50,000 visitors this holiday season.

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