BANGOR, Maine — More than a dozen students from All Saints Catholic School on Monday walked a few short blocks to the Phillips-Strickland House to deliver shampoo, body lotion, hand lotion, lip balm, stationary, pens, pencils and Valentine’s Day candy to the residents.
For the 14 students in grades four through eight who visited the assisted living home, it was a service project performed during Maine Catholic Schools Week.
It meant something different for the residents.
“It’s nice to see the kiddos,” Peg McGinley said Monday. “Keeps us young in mind.”
McGinley was a neighbor to All Saints Principal Joseph Gallant when he was growing up. On Monday, he introduced his nephew Collin Scobie, a sixth-grader at the school, to her.
“It is important for our students to know that some residents may not see their grandchildren on a regular basis,” Gallant said after school in an email about why it was important for the students to interact with the elderly residents. “Their grandchildren may be young adults. We can also learn so much from them.”
Linda Nickerson, activities director at Phillips-Strickland, said visiting with children “is very important for a lot of our residents who don’t see their grandchildren very often. Today, they played games and held hands and told each other stories. It was warm and fuzzy.”
The students also visit Phillips-Strickland at Christmas and in the spring when they sing to and with residents, Gallant said.
Monday’s visit also was linked to the Jubilee Year of Mercy, declared by Pope Francis. He designated acts of mercy for each month.
“This visit fit in very nicely [with that],” Gallant said. “The theme for this month is to visit the sick/afflicted. Visiting Phillips-Strickland allows us to visit those who may have difficulty getting out.”
Catholic schools throughout the state are taking part in similar projects, according to Dave Guthro, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. Bishop Robert Deeley on Monday visited Holy Savior School in Rumford.
Students there participated in a service project for the national organization Bags of Love, which assembles bags of personal care items to be given to children who need to quickly leave their homes in an emergency situation, often ending up in foster care.
“You’re helping boys and girls because you know that Jesus loves you,” the bishop told a group of second- and third-graders. “These boys and girls who receive these bags will now have a quilt and other things they can use because of your kindness. You give dignity to those who receive them. You helped them because you’ve been helped and you’ve received God’s mercy.”