Nominated by Kathy Pendracky
As coordinator for the Ministry to the Elderly, Sick, and Homebound, Ellie Fields has worked hard to bring joy and God’s grace to people who need it most. Members of MESH, as the group is known, visit sick and homebound parishioners, bringing them Holy Communion and whatever else they might need.
“I often thought over the years that the homebound are the most overlooked in a parish setting,” writes Fields’ friend, Kathy Pendracky, a MESH volunteer who nominated Fields for the Good Egg Award. “They are not young, they are usually not able to contribute in a tangible way, they are alone, and they often are in pain, and so their temperament can sometimes be outside of our comfort level.”
Fields strives to provide a positive and respectful image to her homebound friends, often dressing up for her visits and bringing a dose of cheer along with Communion.
“The wonderful little things that she will do along with the normal job requirements make this group successful in ways that really can’t be measured,” writes Pendracky. “Ellie finds time to ensure that volunteers are matched as closely as possible by location, time constraints, and so on.
“What Ellie has done through coordinating this group in such an effective way is bring members of Christ’s body together to help shelter them under his protective wing and to bring joy into what I am sure they feel at times is a personal prison.”