Parish teens assembled items donated by parishioners into nearly 200 gift bags for the residents and patients of Bolster Heights, Clover Health Care, and the Odd Fellows’ and Rebekahs’ Home of Maine.

In celebration of Easter, teens at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Auburn recently delivered gift bags of candy, hand lotion, lip balm and other toiletries to Bolster Heights Health Care Facility, Clover Health Care, and the Odd Fellows’ and Rebekahs’ Home of Maine.

The items had been donated by parishioners during Lent and assembled by parish teens into nearly 200 gift bags for the residents and patients of local nursing and assisted living homes. To provide a sense of connection to each recipient, each gift bag also included an Easter greeting from members of the parish’s pastoral staff.

While the gift bags offered support and comfort, but the sight of the teens delivering them may have meant more to the recipients than the contents of the bags. “We encourage young people in our youth ministry program to experience ways to volunteer in our community,” said Deacon Denis Mailhot, the parish outreach coordinator at Immaculate Heart of Mary. “Today, that meant providing an Easter gift bag to local residents who may be ill or lonely. They smile when they see youth come into their lives, even for just a brief moment.” As part of the parish’s Lenten collection, over 50 boxes of food were also donated to the St. Mary’s Nutrition Center.