Boyce Students Deliver Birthday Cheer

As part of their annual holiday service project, students supported Beverly’s PGH, a local nonprofit that provides birthday gifts to children and families experiencing homelessness.

Through the schoolwide effort, students assembled and delivered 571 filled gift bags, along with three large boxes of additional supplies, to Beverly’s PGH. The project was coordinated by school counselors Amy Antonio and Tonia Autieri, who began researching potential organizations in September.

“The story behind Beverly’s immediately touched our hearts. We often remind our students that one person truly can make a difference, and the founding of Beverly’s is a powerful, real-life example of that belief in action,” Mrs. Antonio said. “From the very beginning, we were excited to partner with Beverly’s and explore meaningful ways our students could contribute during the holiday season.”

Beverly’s PGH spreads joy 365 days a year by hosting nearly 170 birthday parties annually. Each celebration includes a “cheer box” filled with gifts such as toys, hygiene items, and snacks. In total, the organization distributes more than 6,000 cheer boxes each year to children throughout the region.

“Our students were deeply moved by the work and were amazed by the number of children the organization supports each year,” Mrs. Antonio said. “It resonated strongly with them to know they were helping other children, especially after learning that neighboring townships also benefit from Beverly’s far-reaching impact.”

Each Boyce homeroom was assigned specific items to help fill the gift bags.

“Our initial goal was to assemble 600 bags – 200 hygiene, 200 fun and 200 snack bags,” Mrs. Antonio said. “While we came just 29 bags short, we were also able to donate three large boxes filled with additional supplies. Because of this, we truly feel that we exceeded our goal.”

Students assembled and decorated the gift bags during guidance classes in early December.

“The students were especially excited to decorate and fill the bags,” Mrs. Antonio said. “While we recognize that not all families are able to donate, our priority is ensuring that every student feels proud knowing they played a part in making another child’s birthday truly special.”

On Thursday, Dec. 18, a group of eight fifth- and sixth-grader students accompanied Mrs. Antonio and Mrs. Autieri to deliver the donations to Beverly’s PGH.  During their visit, the students received a personal tour of the facility from the organization’s founder, Megs Yunn.

“Having previously watched a video of Ms. Megs’ appearance on Good Morning America during Guidance class, the students were understandably a bit starstruck,” Mrs. Antonio said. “During the visit, Ms. Megs shared meaningful stories from birthday celebrations, including one about a teenager who listed bottled water on her birthday wish list. These stories deeply impacted our Boyce students and prompted thoughtful reflections on gratitude and how fortunate we are.”

For more than 25 years, Boyce Middle School students have embraced the tradition of helping others through the school’s annual holiday service project. 

“We are so grateful to our Boyce families for once again making our holiday outreach project a success!” Mrs. Antonio said.