Kids are not usually the ones making Easter baskets and adults are not usually on the receiving end of them. In Mattapoisett, things are done a little differently thanks to Jennifer Rusinoski, the special education secretary for the town’s elementary schools.

For 16 years, she has rallied elementary students and parents to donate and deliver gifts to local senior citizens. This spring's donations were a little bittersweet for Rusinoski who has decided to step down from the role.

“It’s my last year doing it,” she said. “It’s a little sentimental for me.”

The annual donations started when, as a parent on the Mattapoisett PTA, Rusinoski had the idea of connecting students and elders.

“We kind of live in an age of ‘If I do this for you, what am I going to get back?’” said Rusinoski. She wanted to instill in students “how much it would mean to do something for somebody we don’t even know.”

“Seniors were not just ‘old people.’ They are a valuable part of the community. They’re the backbone of the community,” she said.

The first year, Rusinoski arranged to have kids hand out ribbon candy at Village Court during the Christmas season.

“That was a mistake,” joked Rusinoski. “It got around like wild fire.”

Many seniors asked to be added to the list, so she got the Council on Aging to help by making a yearly roster of homebound seniors and those who live alone.

Rusinoski also moved the deliveries to early spring.

“Everybody gets stuff at Christmas,” she said. Receiving a basket of goodies after the long winter “meant more to seniors.”

Now, Rusinoski organizes an Easter basket-making extravaganza with handmade gifts from Old Hammondtown and Center School students that are delivered to about 140 senior citizens in town.

The baskets are themed each year. This year, in honor of her retirement from the project, Rusinoski chose a black and white “Mattapoisett Memories” theme. Baskets featured old photos of the town and each grade contributed a monochromatic gift.

The PTA funds the baskets and helps with the assembly. Rusinoski also collaborates with art teacher Greta Anderson and computer teacher Lisa Lourenco who help the students make creative gifts.

This year, kindergarten and first graders designed calendars, second and third graders designed photo albums, fourth grade students wrote letters to the seniors, fifth graders decorated the baskets and sixth grade students made truffles. Parents also donated black licorice.

On Thursday, a half day for students, the sixth grade students assembled and wrapped the baskets with help from parents. After school, parents and kids took the boxes of baskets to deliver.

“The kids do a really good job,” said Rusinoski. She added that the PTA's support and funding makes the baskets possible each year.

Without Rusinoski, however, none of it would ever come together.

“She’s got it down to a science,” said parent Lisa Stark.

Rusinoski works with teachers to brainstorm crafts that fit in with the year's theme and curriculum. She creates a layout of her workspace in the Old Hammondtown School cafeteria with each station labeled. Rusinoski keeps a binder with all of the details, which she hopes to pass on to some younger parents for next year.

“If you do it all year, it falls into place,” Rusinoski said.

As she steps down, Suzanne Barrows said she would also like to see someone take the lead so the baskets can continue next year.

“The elderly look forward to this every year,” said Barrows, who helps though her kids have all graduated. “It’s good for kids to get the concept of making other people happy.”