Today, while some families are digging through Easter baskets for chocolate and candy, others are finding essential items left for them in theirs. 

While COVID-19 continues to affect families around the Teche Area, A&A Appliance Center in New Iberia gave to a few families in need of essential Easter items. 

Emily Pellerin-Barron, assistant manager at A & A Appliance Center, said the idea to give away essential household items was started a few days earlier by her dad, Richard Pellerin, owner of A & A Appliance Center.

“We are trying to find seven families that are in need and get their names and addresses and go on Sunday and drop off some essential items that they may need,” Pellerin-Barron said. “We are trying to get in particular what they may need for each house, that way we can be as particular to that family as possible.”

Those deliveries actually were made Saturday. Some of the household items that were to be given out, according to Pellerin-Barron, include paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning supplies and canned goods. Other nonperishable foods were put into the baskets as well. And, of course, Easter candy, too.

And though those essential items may be limited at stores in New Iberia right now, A & A Appliance Center was able to provide them from their own stores. 

“We are just trying to help people out as best we can, because I know a lot of people don’t have jobs and lost a lot of hours,” Pellerin-Barron said. “We’re just trying to help out the best way we can.”

Pellerin-Barron said Wednesday she woke up to an email from her dad, telling her he’d like to find seven families who are in need, and after that, she and her father started brainstorming ways to help out. 

With today being Easter, they thought it’d be a great idea to hand-deliver these items in the form of an Easter basket — while doing their best to practice social distancing.

“We want to let people know that we are here and we want to help,” Pellerin-Barron said.

A New Iberia native, Richard Pellerin said he sees the struggles of his community, a motivating factor for himself and A & A Appliance Center.

“You start thinking of ideas to help people when things touch home,” he said.

While the Government is doing its best, he said it can only do so much, and those who can help out, should.

“People that can help, it would be good if they would step up as well to do that,” Richard Pellerin said. “You do see things through Instagram and Twitter of people helping out people with small bills like that.” 

Though business may be slower than normal, Richard Pellerin said their customers have stuck with them through the years, passing it on from one generation to the next. 

“Their parents and their grandparents bought from us when we first started in 1947,” Richard Pellerin said. “It’s a longstanding business.” 

He said he wanted to return the favor.

Wanting to help stems from a longstanding tradition at A & A Appliance Center, as generations of Pellerins have provided appliances for local residents. 

Richard Pellerin is no different.

“I feel blessed,” Richard Pellerin said. “I want to help others with things as well.”