Brockton Charity Guild helps Angelo Elementary School kids make gift bags for Mother's Day

Kathy Bossa, The Enterprise
Updated ·2 min read

BROCKTON ― Second graders at the Angelo Elementary School had some special help getting ready for Mother's Day by making gift bags for their mothers or special someone.

The Charity Guild Food Pantry hosted its 18th annual Mother's Day event on May 9 for the Angelo Elementary School's second-grade classes this year. This annual tradition was created in 2006 by the late Geraldine Creedon, a longtime board member who was a state representative at the time.

The Guild sent about a dozen board members to the school at 472 N. Main St. to help 150 students assemble Mother's Day gift bags for their mom or a significant woman in their life, according to Laura Striese, executive director of The Charity Guild Inc.

"This event is a Guild favorite," said Striese.

Charity Guild Board Member and Event Chair Diane Tasho Prince helps students Izzy Teixeira, Marlynne Fontes Delgado, Zayah Pina, and Gabriela Zuniga Pop pick items for their gift bags.
Charity Guild Board Member and Event Chair Diane Tasho Prince helps students Izzy Teixeira, Marlynne Fontes Delgado, Zayah Pina, and Gabriela Zuniga Pop pick items for their gift bags.

Students create free gift bags

The Charity Guild set up a Mother's Day gift shop in the cafeteria at the school and allowed the students to make free bags for mom.

The café tables were decorated with brightly-colored tablecloths and items, "giving the students the opportunity to select the items and the colors that they thought their special someone would love,” Striese said.

Each student grabbed a gift bag, then selected from various gifts, including bracelets, lotion, travel brushes, shower loofahs, nail polish, lip gloss and plotted plants to grow either a rose or daisy, Striese said.

Board Member Barbara Janelli, retired principal of the Angelo School,helps students select items for the their gift bags.
Board Member Barbara Janelli, retired principal of the Angelo School,helps students select items for the their gift bags.

"In total, there were 150 of every item that we handed out for students to select," she said..

Many made this event possible

The chair of the event this year, retired Brockton High School photography teacher Diane Tasho Prince, "thoughtfully curated a selection of pretty gifts that students hand-picked for their special someone," said Striese.

The event was supported by The Charity Guild's Board of Directors, which includes retired Angelo School Principal Barbara Janelli.

The event committee also included board members Julie Niccoli, Marijo Martin, Christine Tennihan, Liz Guilford, Nancy Gustafson, April Sferrazza, Jim Doucette.

The gifts for this special event were provided by the Charity Guild board members and Tasho Prince did all the shopping for the event and curated all the items, according to Striese.

Jennifer Solimine of BeDazzled donated "beautiful bangle bracelets" and Lori Gowell of Gowell's Homemade Candy donated "delicious chocolate hearts" that were included in each gift bag, she said.

Students Marjorie Paredes Lema, Alisson Cela Guallpa and Yariel Tejada (front row), Christian Da Silva Andrade and Pietro Dos Santos (back row) show off their gift bags during The Charity Guild's annual Mother's Day gifting event held at the Angelo Elementary School on May 9, 2024.
Students Marjorie Paredes Lema, Alisson Cela Guallpa and Yariel Tejada (front row), Christian Da Silva Andrade and Pietro Dos Santos (back row) show off their gift bags during The Charity Guild's annual Mother's Day gifting event held at the Angelo Elementary School on May 9, 2024.

Striese said The Charity Guild gives a "special thank you to Principal John Kelly for his help with the event this year."

"The children were thrilled to take the gift bags home," said Striese.

What is The Charity Guild

The Charity Guild Food Pantry has been serving The Greater Brockton area for 53 years, according to Striese.

The Food Pantry now serves more than 25,000 individuals a year.

To learn more about their mission and to help support their efforts to eliminate Food Insecurity in our community visit thecharityguild.org .

Staff writer Kathy Bossa can be reached by email at kbossa@enterprisenews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today. 

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton Charity Guild helps students assemble mother's day gift bags