IBERIA PARISH (JEANERETTE) — With the busy holiday shopping season upon us, a local store is encouraging the community to give back through Angel Trees, benefiting the residents of Maison Teche Nursing Home.
Main Street Mercantile and the Albania Mansion are hosting Angel Trees, where customers can pick up an "angel card" from the store, purchase a gift for a nursing home resident, wrap it, and return it by December 14.
The angel cards include details of the nursing home residents' favorite hobbies, colors, food, and more—giving donors an idea of what to buy for them. If you are unable to participate in the Angel Tree project, the store is also accepting monetary donations that will be used to purchase gifts for the residents.
Local vendor and musician Brittany Pool said the idea came from a tradition she and her brother participated in growing up in Arkansas.
“I think the most fulfilling part will be seeing their faces when we bring the presents,” Pool said. “But the entire thing is fulfilling; just doing something for someone else feels great.”
The gifts can be dropped off at Main Street Mercantile, or returned at the Albania Mansion Christmas Party on December 15. The party serves as a thank-you event for donors. Delivering the presents on December 22, Pool hopes the initiative will bring holiday joy to more than 90 residents at Maison Teche.
