Colleen Grazioso

Hi. My name is Colleen Grazioso. I have been a Beacon member for over 10 years. 

I was asked to tell you a little bit about what Beacon’s involvement with Chancellor Ave school in Irvington, NJ has meant to me and my family. 

So first a little history and then a little story.

My husband and I have 2 daughters, now aged 19 & 14 and when they were younger I was very involved in their elementary school PTO. I first learned about Beacon’s involvement with Chancellor Ave School through my neighbor, Brian Halpin, who had worked with the principal of the school and a teacher at my kids’ school. They developed an 8 week after-school math and English extra help program. My then 11 year old daughter, Molly and I went after school a few times to play math card games with a few kids in the Chancellor Ave cafeteria. We had such a good time that when the program expanded the following year, Molly signed up to go every week.   

Years later when she was interviewing for a job, she was asked “Tell us about one of your proudest moments?” and she described a day when she walked into a classroom to tutor at Chancellor Ave school after being away for a few weeks and the kids actually clapped and cheered when she came in.     

In more recent years, I have joined the Beacon-Chancellor Ave leadership team, and I have facilitated our annual partnership program where Beacon families are matched with Chancellor Ave families to give them a winter coat, a holiday gift and book. Over the years, by facilitating this partnership, I have seen hundreds of Beacon volunteers who don’t bat an eyelash to work together to keep local kids warm and happy (and well read!) 

Through the years, I have also helped organize author visits to Chancellor Ave, helped renovate and paint the teachers lounge at the school, volunteered at their book fair, gone to game nights and manned a booth at their spring carnival. I have made friends with Chancellor Ave staff and become closer with many many Beacon members. Thanks to Regina Carlson, I am also now an expert at organizing gift wrapping stations. 

Our partnership with the Chancellor community makes me and my family proud of how we choose to spend our time.