Thousands of single and married parents, grandparents and guardians are facing financial hardship in Bucks County, living the sad reality of not being able to afford to give their children a jolly Christmas filled with toys and food.
Their stories of struggle are different, but they yearn for the same thing: They want the holidays to come to their homes this Christmas.
The holiday helpers at the Bucks County Courier Times and the Levittown-Bristol Kiwanis Club are busy making those wishes happen through your donations to the 61st annual Give A Christmas fund.
This year, the Give A Christmas campaign begins Sunday and will continue through the holiday season.
“We include all children in need of help regardless of race, religious preference or social standing in the communities,” Howie Kay, member of the Kiwanis Give A Christmas committee, said. “Many of the families we contact have lost their homes and ability to comfortably take care of their family sustenance.”
This year’s fundraising goal is $120,000. In 2017, donors contributed $114,812.31 and provided assistance to 4,155 children in Lower Bucks County. Those donations helped bring the fund’s total to more than $4.5 million in six decades.
Each year, Kiwanis members read through letters detailing lives burdened with financial or health struggles. Poverty can hit anyone anywhere — even here in Bucks County.
“Many of our neighbors are facing some very difficult financial times and we hope that through Give A Christmas we can reduce some of this financial stress,” Mary Berman, president of the Kiwanis, said. “It is so nice to see an initiative where neighbors are helping neighbors. To me, the most important thing is to know that Give A Christmas brought a smile to a child’s face over the holidays.”
When the Kiwanis initiated Give A Christmas in 1957, the needs of the area were different, she noted. As the years have gone by, the organization has adjusted to the community’s economic hardship.
“As a community grows, so do the needs of the community grow,” Berman said. “Employment level in this area has changed. Many of the better-paying factory and steel mill jobs no longer exist. People may be working but that doesn’t mean that the financial stress isn’t present.”
Of the county’s 628,341 residents, about 41,000 people live in poverty, according to 2017 U.S. Census figures. It’s efforts like Give A Christmas that play a role in helping ease the burden, especially at the holidays, organizers believe.
“Give A Christmas is near and dear to my heart,” Courier Times Executive Editor Shane Fitzgerald said. “It’s remarkable that the Calkins’ family-owned newspapers raised $10 million for our communities over the years and I’m proud to keep the tradition going with our new ownership. Good people helped my family when I was a kid in a similar fashion and I’m forever grateful for that. I know it means a lot to the families who are touched by our community’s generosity.”
Give A Christmas help comes in the form of a $25 voucher that can be used at several local supermarkets and retailers, including Acme, Redner’s Market, Selecto Market, Barnes & Noble and Burlington.
“It’s difficult to express how proud I am of the employees and community partners who come together each year to make Give A Christmas a success,” Jake Volcsko, general manager of the Bucks County Courier Times, said. “There is a lot of work and detail that goes into making the program run smoothly. More importantly, though, are the hundreds of community members who make donations each year. It’s awe-inspiring to be part of a community that continues to support this effort.”
The Kiwanis group remains firm in its mission to help its community.
“I hope that through the partnership with the Courier Times and the generous community, we can continue our mission of helping children,” Berman said. “We have been able to accomplish this for the last 61 years and I hope we can continue to do this well into the future.”