Photo: In the arms of an angel? Peter Mangels did all of the heavy lifting on Sunday, bringing in his photography equipment and lights to shoot over 60 families. But it was the brainchild of Nick Davis (in the arms of Peter!), who put it all together in his way of giving back and honoring his late mother.
By JOHN ANDERSON, photos from Peter Mangels Photography
As a child, Nick Davis remembers his mother, Suzette Carlin, working at a car dealership, a supermarket, going to college and raising three children. There were times when she paid her bills and provided enough food for the family. But when Christmas rolled around, photos were out of the question as well as presents.
The generosity of the community donating toys to their church made Christmas for the family.
Suzette passed away on July 15 of 2024. From that moment on, Nick Davis — who famously does fun and breathtaking videos and photos with Genesee Valley Media — came up with ways to keep her memory going and honor the work she did for her family and the community.
During Covid, Nick was making holiday videos of local businesses and residents for people to enjoy when they could not leave the home. Now that “Shop Local” is embraced once again, the idea for Christmas photos the weekend after Thanksgiving took off.
This year, over 60 families came into the David A. Howe Library on Sunday, Nov. 30 and were asked to give a donation of $20 if they could for Christmas photos. However, if you don’t have the money, the photos from Peter Mangels Photography are free. What should’ve been $1,200 turned into $1,580 as many families donated more than what was asked.
Davis knew what to do with the money.
“In past years we split it between several organizations,” Davis said. “This year, we donated it all to the Salvation Army. Emily (Stothart) said they always struggle more with food during Christmas. Everyone donates food for Thanksgiving and toys at Christmas. But they don’t have enough food for families. Now they have food for Christmas dinners.”
The photo shoot doesn’t happen without the library. And the decorated library inspired the idea.
“One day I walked in the library and it was decorated and it was gorgeous,” Davis said. “What if we did holiday photos here? The idea was to do a family portrait for people who did not have the means for a photo session. The inside was glamourous and people who can donate, can donate. If not, no questions asked, sign in and get your photo taken.”
Nic Gunning, the director of the David A. Howe Public Library, said opening on a Sunday for the event has become something they look forward to.
“The community Christmas photos have become one of our favorite holiday traditions,” Gunning said. “Genesee Valley Media and Peter Mangels Photography are great to work with and their pictures not only showcase our bustling community, but the beauty of the David A. Howe. It’s the perfect way to raise funds for the Salvation Army and the important work they do in Wellsville and beyond!”
The library came alive.
“We do it the Sunday after Small Business Saturday because people are still in town from Thanksgiving,” Davis said. “We had Christmas movies playing and The Shop at Main donated coffee and hot chocolate, so people didn’t mind the wait for photos!”
And Peter Mangels didn’t mind donating seven hours on a Sunday.
“It’s great to be able to give back to the community I call home with something I love doing,” Mangels said. “It’s fun to see people who come each year to have a sort of time capsule that they can look back on. One couple did a photo of their baby announcement the first year, and now, they have a toddler!
Here is a photo gallery of some of their favorites from Sunday:
