Our Residents

A generous anonymous giver at Robinson Gardens Apartments has struck again – and this time, just two days before Christmas.

The donor, whose giving at the Springfield Housing Authority family development in the Bay neighborhood has already helped other families in recent months, made a visit to a local grocery store on December 23 and loaded up on hams, vegetables, fruits and desserts to give to two families in need for the holidays.

“This is one big Christmas gift for two families that really need it,” said SHA Youth Engagement Coordinator Jimmie Mitchell, who helped coordinate the gifts.

“All we can say is one big thank you,” Mitchell added.

Sincia Perrin and her family, at left, and Maria Ortiz and her daughters, at right, look at the Christmas dinner given by an anonymous donor. SHA Youth Engagement Coordinator Jimmie Mitchell is in the center.

The donor first contacted Mitchell in early summer 2013, after reading in The Springfield Republican about SHA’s Ferris Mitchell Scholarship, awarded each year to a public housing or rental assistance high school graduate who is going off to college. Jimmie Mitchell helps run the scholarship, which is named after his father.

Since then, the donor, who does not want to be identified, has given book and supplies money to both of this year’s scholarship recipients, and treated one Robinson Gardens family a complete Thanksgiving dinner.

This latest gift helped two families, Sincia Perrin and her four children, and Maria Ortiz and her four children. Both women were overwhelmed to see the long tables in the community room loaded up with hams, yams, potatoes, carrots, oranges, apples, stuffing, gravy and much more.

“It’s great,” said Ortiz, whose children range in age from 12 to 18.

Gretchen Hernandez, 12, mom Maria Ortiz and Yareliz Rivera, 15, at Robinson Gardens Apartments.

“We’re very happy. My children will be so happy on Christmas,” she said. “Now my shopping is done.”

Perrin called the edible gifts “awesome” as she expressed gratitude for the man who is so modest that he left before the families arrived.

“He’s a good man. I’m so grateful for people like him,” Perrin said. “This will help us a lot.”

Her daughter, Aisha Delissaint, is a freshman at Westfield State University who received the Ferris Mitchell Scholarship in June, and was offered help by the same man last summer. She, too, had good things to say.

“I think he’s really nice. I really appreciate him helping out,” she said.

Mom Sincia Perrin and her daughters with SHA Youth Engagement Coordinator Jimmie Mitchell.

Mitchell said the man is a local businessman who grew up in the Six Corners neighborhood, and has always had a penchant for helping others.

“He told me that since he was a student at Cathedral High School, he’s always like helping other people out. He was inspired here by the work we do with youth and families, and he plans to keep on helping folks out,” Mitchell said.

“We feel so fortunate,” he added.