Volunteers pack hope and love in kits for Haiti

On a day of Super Bowl party gastrointestinal overindulgence, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church members helped others Sunday at their own “Super Bowl of Caring.”

Haiti was the main beneficiary of the church’s annual event on Super Bowl Sunday, when hygiene kits were created for those in need in the earthquake-devastated country.

“This is for those people who our culture tends to push off to the side,” said the Rev. Marc Vranes.

The church works with Church World Service, a nonprofit organization, to give the “Gift of the Heart Health Kits” to impoverished people every year.

This year, the church was inspired by the earthquake in Haiti Jan. 12.

In light of the tragedy, they decided to expand their efforts and reach out to other churches, individuals and organizations in the community.

“This is a simple act of Christian kindness,” Vranes said. “Someone in Haiti gets a kit. It’s life for them, in a sense.”

In all, 65 kits were pre-assembled by representatives of Holy Trinity, the First Congregational Church in Willimantic and Boy Scouts from Pack 57 in Coventry. The scouts helped out as part of “Scout Sunday.”

The superintendent of Brooklyn Public Schools was responsible for getting donations from students.

“Brooklyn elementary and middle schools probably will account for about 100 kits themselves,” Vranes said. “We are thankful for the outpouring of goodness beyond our community.”

Prior to the count, Vranes predicted about 300 kits would be assembled. While that doesn’t seem like a lot, Church World Service estimates each kit is valued at $10, so it adds up.

“It tends to be pretty costly,” he said.

This year, the church put together 502 hygiene kits, 200 or so more than they collected the past seven years.

“I would have been happy with 250,” Vranes said.

Each kit has a bar of soup, hand towel, wash cloth, six Band-Aids, a toothbrush, comb and a set of nail clippers.

“We were overwhelmed with toothbrushes,” said Dorothy Sinchuk of Lebanon, one of the volunteers.

Sinchuk came to the church for the first time four years ago on Super Bowl Sunday and was so moved by the generosity of the church members, she and her family have been helping at the event ever since.

“This is a phenomenal church,” Sinchuk said.

Sinchuk was responsible for contacting the Windham Area Interfaith Ministry to ask for help getting other churches involved.

She also put in an appeal through CIGNA, her employer, for donations and got enough donations from her co-workers to make about 30 kits.

“We got a wonderful response,” Sinchuk said. “Our thanks go to WAIM for putting the word out there.”

The church involves itself in various programs WAIM sponsors throughout the year, such as the “Adopt-A-Family” and back-to-school programs.

“We’re not a big church, but we do what we can,” Sinchuk said.

Those interested in helping with shipping costs can mail monetary donations to Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, 414 Valley St., Willimantic 06226.