Members of St. Thomas More Parish in Coralville prepare to distribute May baskets at Lantern Park Specialty Care, also in Coralville, earlier this month.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
CORALVILLE — Each year, the St. Thomas More Parish community fills and delivers May baskets to homebound parishioners and local care center residents.
The project, which dates back at least 25 years, helps foster a much-needed sense of connection between parishioners and recipients, said project co-chair Terry Conner. The visits often mean as much — if not more —than the treasures and treats inside each hand-decorated delivery. “You never know if residents have frequent visitors, or any visitors,” she said, noting that it’s important to her that they “feel loved by our parish community.”
Filling and delivering the baskets is an all-hands-on-deck affair, said project co-chair Kim Schmitz. In April, parishioners donated backscratchers, magazines, puzzle books, snacks and other items requested by recipients. Religious education students decorated bags, wrote encouraging notes and decorated cards. The parish’s Fifty Plus group also made cards.
Parishioners donated enough goodies to fill more than 140 bags, Schmitz said. On May 1, parish volunteers delivered 88 bags to Lantern Park Specialty Care in Coralville. They hand delivered as many May baskets as possible and left the remainder with care center activity staff to be distributed later. The volunteers also left some goodies for the staff to enjoy. Eucharistic ministers delivered bags to those they serve at Keystone Place in North Liberty and Windmill Manor in Coralville, as well as to homebound parishioners. One recipient was so touched, she called the delivery a “love basket,” Schmitz recalled.
“Watching them go through the cards and notes from the children who attend religious education is so gratifying,” Conner said. “They love the items they receive since they are not things they receive very often, such as treats and candy.”
More than 200 people participated in the project, Schmitz said. “I can’t think of many other ministries that involve that many people and age ranges. We had young children, older retirees and everything in between… I think (the project) sort of encompasses everything that we try to build and bridge to” as a parish community.
