Interview with Señora Di Mascio

Interviewers: Anna Wong, Meera Menon

This year, La Salle Academy faculty and students are participating in Adopt-a-Family. Homerooms throughout the school are working together to raise money and purchase gifts for families in need across Rhode Island. We sat down with one of the organizers, Señora Di Mascio, and asked her a few questions about the program.

Q: What exactly is Adopt-a-Family?

R: “It’s a program in which we ask each homeroom teacher to adopt a family. It entails buying them the gifts or things they want/need for Christmas.”

Q: What are some of the gifts we collect for these families?

R: “It can be basic needs like shoes, slippers, clothing and hats. It can be toys for the children, depending on their age. Sometimes it’s just gift cards for stores or things for the house like towels, sheets — very basic stuff we tend to take for granted.”

Q: How long has La Salle been involved with Adopt-a-Family?

R: “For as long as I can remember….about thirty-one years.”

Q: How did you get involved with Adopt-a-Family?

R: “Mrs. Martinelli asked me a couple of years ago if I would like to lend a hand with Social Concerns, so Adopt-a-Family came in the package.” 

Q: How many families do we help each year?

R: “Close to fifty….this year exactly forty-six. We collect a bit more for individual needs, as well.”

Q: How many schools/agencies do we work with?

R: “We work with four but back in the day we used to work with around ten.”

Q: What are the names of the schools we work with?

R: “San Miguel, Tides Family Service, Veazie Street Elementary School, and Northern Lincoln Elementary School.”

Q: How do they choose the families that will be given the gifts?

R: “The agencies have the criteria and select them for us.”

Q: What is your favorite thing about Adopt-a-Family?

R: “Knowing that we are making such a big difference in all these people’s lives… alleviating the pressure on the parents to give their children gifts….that the children wake up and have gifts to unwrap. They can enjoy Christmas like I do with my family.”