Macaluso is mom, mentor, designer

Charla Macaluso

2023 Renaissance Woman

Charla Belfiore Macaluso is a third generation Italian American born in 1983 and raised in Bloomfield before moving to East Hanover 20 years ago.

She is the proud daughter of Donald and Grace Ann Belfiore and sister to Donald and Valarie. She is a 2001 graduate of Mount St. Dominic Academy and a 2005 graduate of Monmouth University with a bachelor of arts degree with a concentration in graphic design and computer graphics.

During college, she studied a semester abroad in London, traveling to more than 14 countries including Italy which was one of the best times of her life. She was fortunate to travel to Italy a few times between school and family trips over the years and each time immersed herself in the culture of her heritage and loved every minute of it, especially the art and food.

She went on to work as a graphic designer and prepress manager for a digital printing company for more than 13 years before changing careers and becoming an assistant to the athletic director of Millburn High School while remaining in the graphic design world as a freelancer.

In 2015, she married her husband Giuseppe (Joe) Macaluso and they have a beautiful daughter Giovanna, age 6, who is their greatest joy and biggest blessing.

Her parents, Donald and Grace Ann Belfiore, are originally from Newark’s First Ward. They raised her and her siblings with strong Italian values centered around family and faith.

Sundays were always spent at church followed by a big family dinner of “macaroni and meatballs” with a lot of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. This family tradition continues today and she hopes to instill this in her daughter and nieces as well.

Charla and her family have been parishioners of St. Lucy’s Church in Newark all their lives and for the last 15 years Charla has been a volunteer member of the St. Gerard Committee following in her mother’s footsteps, helping to preserve the Italian traditions at St. Lucy’s Church which includes the St. Gerard Feast, the St. Gerard birthday mass as well as many other fundraising events held throughout the years for St. Lucy’s Church.

Her faith and devotion to St. Gerard is a major part of her life and gives her strength in all things. In 2019 at the age of 35, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and thankfully after treatment and surgery is now a survivor of three years and counting.

Although cancer turned her life upside down, she has embraced this part of her life in trying to help others. She took part in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Newark and set up fundraisers for Memorial Sloan Kettering and the American Cancer Society each year since she became a survivor. She has found strength in being a friend and mentor to others who have been diagnosed and shares advice to help the next person who must go through this battle.

Breast cancer is a part of her story and she hopes to make a difference in helping others with cancer.

She feels very lucky and grateful to be a survivor and so thankful for the support of her wonderful family and friends.

Charla loves her family, friends, traveling, enjoying time at the Jersey Shore and most of all being a mom to Giovanna.

She is a member of the East Hanover PTA and loves volunteering in her daughter’s school and sports activities. If life has taught her one thing, it is to enjoy every minute we have and she plans on always doing that.