Published December 29. 2017 12:04PM
An act of Christmas good will by the Carbon County Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians last year snowballed into a bigger one this year.
Around the holidays the group delivered goody bags to local nursing homes. When a resident received her bag that contained a scarf last year she immediately took it out and wrapped it around her neck.
Bernadette Behan, the Irish historian for the group, was told by one of the nurses aides, “The women are always cold.”
Behan said that once the busy holiday season for her restaurant, Molly Maguires Pub and Steakhouse in Jim Thorpe, was over she had some extra time. Not being one to just sit around she began to make shawls, knitting in her idle time.
By the time this holiday season came around she had made 18 of the 2-by-5-foot shawls.
Three of the shawls went to members of the LAOH who are currently in nursing homes. The rest were delivered recently by Behan and her granddaughter Molly Behan to The Summit Nursing Home in Lehighton.
Bernadette Behan, left, and her granddaughter Molly Behan pose for a photo with Arlene Kinsey as she wears her shawl at The Summit Nursing Home in Lehighton. BOB FORD/TIMES NEWS
Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernian members Colleen Clauser, Mary Figura and Sharon Choley sort through gift bags at their recent Christmas party. Some of the bags included handmade shawls to be delivered to members or former members in nursing homes.
Bernadette Behan sorts through shawls at her home. Behan made a total of 18 shawls to be delivered to local nursing homes.
Bernadette Behan knits a shawl in her sunroom. In all Behan made 18 2-foot by 5-foot shawls to be delivered to local nursing homes.
Bernadette Behan, right, and her granddaughter Molly Behan, load up with gift bags for a delivery of shawls to The Summit Nursing Home in Lehighton.