By Quinn Gasparo’s heart sank as she looked around the Milwaukee domestic violence shelter where she worked part-time. It’s Easter, will these little kids get any baskets or candy? she wondered. The nursing student had seen donated Christmas gifts pour in for the women and children during the holidays, but in the spring, resources were scarce.
Quinn felt a tug on her heart to do something, and she approached her parents with an idea: “Let’s put together Easter baskets and deliver them to children at the shelter. We’ll call it Baskets of Joy!”
Together, they made 10 Easter baskets—filled with goodies like both an indoor and outdoor toy, candy, a bottle of bubbles and chalk—and handed them out to the pure delight of kids.
Quinn ran Baskets of Joy mostly on her own for about 15 years, and she added new shelters every year. But the program grew so quickly that it became too much to balance with her full-time nursing job and wrangling her 4-year-old daughter, Rowan.
I can’t keep this up all by myself, but it’s making such a difference, Quinn thought in 2024, feeling desperate as another Easter season was upon her. There have to be others who would want to help these kids!
Quinn decided to put out a message on her social media page asking if anyone would be interested in lending an extra hand that Easter.
To Quinn’s surprise, she soon received just the response she had been hoping for.
Helpful hearts
Katie Tanke, who teaches seventh and eighth grade at St. Joseph in Kenosha, Washington was scrolling through Facebook and saw Quinn’s post in search of someone to help take over the project. Maybe I could do this! Katie thought, intrigued by the sweet program. What a wonderful way to show God’s love at Easter.
Soon, Katie connected with Quinn, got a few friends on board, and the Baskets of Joy Project began its St. Joseph era. Katie asked her students to help gather items and join in to help put the Easter baskets together.
The kids were eager to pitch in and even sought out local businesses—like a diner, grocery store and hair salon—to set up donation boxes on their premises for toys, games, candy and other items.
The Saturday before Easter, kids and parents gathered at the school and assembled all the baskets—gender-neutral and designed for ages 5 to 11—within a few hours. Then the volunteers delivered the boxes to shelters in the Kenosha and Racine neighborhoods.
They’re so excited to help, Katie thought as goosebumps prickled up on her arms, watching her students make such an impact. They absolutely love it, and it fills their hearts. How amazing!
Spreading hope
This year, Baskets of Joy—which now also hosts a free Easter egg hunt for all local children—is hoping to deliver 800 baskets to shelters, community organizations and schools in low-income neighborhoods.
Jason Justus, resource development coordinator at the Boys and Girls Club of Kenosha, saw the children’s faces light up at his club when Baskets of Joy delivered about 115 Easter gifts last year.
“A lot of the kids are embarrassed to say they don’t get gifts on Christmas, on their birthday or on Easter,” Jason says. “Having this opportunity to get something special that they wouldn’t necessarily receive is outstanding. We’re really lucky to have them!”
For Quinn, Katie and all the students, they see Baskets of Joy as a chance to spread love and bring the real meaning of Easter to life.
“I’m absolutely thrilled,” says a proud Quinn with tears in her eyes. “The idea that we have an entire generation of St. Joseph’s kids working on this project and showing love to their community and their neighbors who have less than themselves—I think that’s really important.”
“We’re focused on not just being scholars in our classrooms, but also being stewards of God,” Katie says. “Baskets of Joy is an expression of our faith, and it’s wonderful to teach the students how to do God’s work. It gives me happy chills to see their impact. It’s very rewarding for every one of us!”
