The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Lily’ s gifts of friendship for parishioners who live alone
Akind-hearted Angus schoolgirl has created 100 “cup of friendship” boxes for locals living alone to show them they have not been forgotten during the pandemic.
Lily White from Arbroath used money set aside for her cancelled ninth birthday party to put together the packages of tea, coffee and cakes for two.
The thoughtful youngster then decorated each box with a colourful teacup and penned a prayer card and message to put inside them.
Her local minister has described Lily’s kindness as “humbling”.
Lily, a P5 pupil at Muirfield Primary School in the Angus town, attends Arbroath West Kirk and worked on the project with the minister, the Rev Chris Hay.
The boxes are being posted out this week to 100 members of the congregation who have been isolating alone in their homes since the start of the first Covid-19 lockdown last March.
Her message inside the cup of friendship box reads: “Everyone should know that they are not alone.
“I hope that this box makes someone smile and they can enjoy a cuppy and a biscuit.”
Lily said: “God tells us to share with others, to care for one another, be kind and use our gifts and talents to do his work.
“We have all taken things for granted and lockdown has made us all think about what is important.
“Church is important to me and I have missed seeing my church family each week and I am sure they have missed me.
“I worry about people who are on their own, they must feel lonely and isolated and I want these cup of friendship boxes to make people smile and to show that someone is thinking about them.”
Lily’s mum Vicki, the kirk organist, said she and husband Steven are “very proud” of their daughter.
“Lily was born into the church and sees the congregation as her extended family,” said Vicki.
“During the first lockdown we were without a minister and found it hard to be able to reach out to those who needed it.
“Lily came up with this idea on her own and my husband and I gave her £100 which was set aside for her birthday party, which was unable to happen.
“She planned, drew, coloured and bought all the items herself.
“Our minister Chris helped by providing prayer cards and working out how these boxes could be sent out into the community.
“Without her help this would not have been possible.”
Mrs Hay said: “This is a great demonstration of Jesus’ love in action and we hope that each box will brighten someone’s day and encourage them as we all wait for the coronavirus restrictions to be lifted.”
It is not just large-scale community ventures helping people through this pandemic — small gestures are also making a massive difference.
Kind-hearted Lily White’s Cups of Friendship will bring cheer to dozens of people in her church congregation in Arbroath.
The boxes are a shining light in these dark times.
As she states in the message accompanying each gift: “Everyone should know that they are not alone.”
With people like Lily in our midst, how true that is.