Church school kids deliver treats to the homebound

Sunday, November 18, 2012 9:27 PM EST

By Erica Schmitt

NEW BRITAIN ? Homebound in her West Main Street apartment recovering from a recent operation, Ilia Jimenez met a welcome surprise at her doorstep Sunday afternoon from a group of sugar plum fairies.

Their walk across the street from St. Mark?s Episcopal Church was quick, but their purpose ? heartfelt.?

Sisters Sirinah and Kayana Vega, 10 and 11, along with their fellow Sunday School friend Katelyn Wiley, 14, brought Jimenez a basket full of fruit, candy, nuts and cookies: traditional holiday treats.

This year more than 40 people were grateful recipients of the colorful baskets, many also presented with a warm woolen shall hand-crocheted by a group of parishioners.

Jimenez?s shawl was purple ? her favorite color.

?Now I?m better,? she said, draping it over her shoulders and embracing each of the girls.

Fighting a battle with colon cancer and amidst a move to a Bristol apartment because of unsatisfactory accommodations at her current residence, Jimenez hasn?t been able to make it to church lately.

?I believe that these will help you with your diabetes and your cancer,? Sirinah told her when she handed over the basket of treats.

This was just one of eight groups of St. Mark?s parishioners making deliveries Sunday to families across the Greater New Britain region.

?The church school kids made ornaments and hand turkeys to attach to the baskets, then they get together with the adults and we form an assembly line and make them,? explained Sunday School Coordinator Donna Clark, who along with her daughter Marissa and church rector Pat Hames, accompanied the Vega sisters on their trip to the home across the street.

?We deliver them to people who are sick, or unable to come to church,? Hames added.

But the day?s distribution wasn?t simply to church parishioners or just New Britain residents. They also made it to homes of others they knew who were suffering, beyond city lines.

This was the case with long-time parishioner Phil Pearson, at his Farmington home recovering from knee surgery. ?We made him a lap robe, and we?re bringing that to him today,? Hames said.

The group of ladies who make the knitted gifts craft them to be machine-washable so that when they are given to patients living at nursing homes, they can easily be laundered by staff on-hand.

St. Mark?s Episcopal Church is located at 147 West Main Street, New Britain. (860) 225-7634.

Erica Schmitt can be reached at (860) 225-4601, ext. 210, or eschmitt@newbritainherald.com.

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Source: http://m.newbritainherald.com/articles/2012/11/18/news/doc50a995ad4d348198819814.txt

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