Gift-Wrapping At Bristol Church Goes To A Good Cause

By Erica Drzewiecki, The Bristol Press

December 21, 2021

Youth in one local church community have spent the season of advent wrapping gifts, brewing hot cocoa and helping kids at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

“It’s a great feeling,” 12-year-old Gianna Zaldivar said as she and her two best friends - Eleni Perytko, 13, and Yarieliz Padilla, 12, worked from behind a wrapping station following Sunday’s worship service at Prospect United Methodist Church.

The teens are members of the congregation’s Junior Methodist Youth Fellowship, (MYF) a group that does activities together on the regular.

During the advent season, they have been wrapping gifts for church members during the Sunday morning fellowship hour. In turn, members donate money to their gift fund. Before Christmas, they will go out and purchase items for kids receiving treatment at CCMC and deliver them to the hospital.

“Last year we also collected money to buy gifts for them,” Gianna said. “We didn’t get to see the children get the gifts but I’m sure they were really happy with them.”

CCMC posts a “wish list” to its website and that’s the tool the group uses a guide..

“So far this year you’ve raised over $200,” Gianna’s mother Christa told the girls.

They wore green t-shirts representing their effort, with their names on the front and “Gift wrapping for good” on the back.

“Sometimes we do activities for ourselves and sometimes we do them for people in need,” Perytko pointed out.

“Last year we did a program called Freezin’ for a Reason,” Padilla added.

The MYF youth jumped in the freezing cold river to collect donations for Brian’s Angels, a homeless outreach center located in the same building as their church, at 99 Summer St.

Prospect United Methodist Church has lots of holiday activities going on this month and members love to involve the community.

Breakfast with Santa took place last Saturday and an open house drew in visitors this past Friday.

“This morning we had our Children’s Christmas Pageant, which was wonderful,” said Luisa Gladu, a trustee. “We’d like to tell the community we’re going to do a beautiful Christmas service on Christmas Eve at 7 p.m.”

Rev. Yongyeun Lee and his wife Ohyeun Lee are happy to welcome new friends into their church, offering a warm and inviting atmosphere.

The parlor has been transformed into Santa’s office for the Christmas season.

Erica Drzewiecki can be reached at edrzewiecki@centralctcommunications.com.