A pandemic holiday has undoubtedly put a damper on this year’s traditions. The CDC has urged families to limit the number of people coming to dinner and avoid direct contact. Retail sales have been projected by Deloitte to grow between 1 percent and 1.5 percent, or $1.147 trillion to $1.152 trillion. Last year, holiday retail sales grew by 4.1 percent.
That trend could be anticipated to extend to the newest holiday tradition of Giving Tuesday, as COVID-19 wreaks havoc on jobs, businesses and livelihoods. If the first weeks of this year’s Give a Christmas fundraiser are any indication, Bucks County residents may dig deep to make the day of generosity a rousing success.
“The numbers have been incredible,” said Mary Berman, volunteer at the Levittown Bristol Kiwanis Club and lead organizer of the Give a Christmas campaign. “The way it looks, Giving Tuesday is becoming every day. I think people who have the means realize the crisis we are in and they are looking out for those who don’t have as much.”
The Give a Christmas fundraising drive has generated more than $18,000 of donations as of Tuesday, Berman said. The same time last year, the campaign had received about $6,900, she said. The daily collections have ranged between $975 to $4,200, with donations averaging about $100. The single largest donation so far has been $600 from an anonymous source, Berman said.
“I got one last night that included a touching letter,” Berman said. “It says, ‘Dear neighbors, now that we have our forever home, we saved up our allowance to donate.’ It was signed by three children from Bristol Township and came with a $100 check.”
The Levittown Bristol Kiwanis Club and the Bucks County Courier Times has partnered to raise at least $120,000 for the annual Give a Christmas campaign. The money will be distributed as $25 vouchers to area families in need for a little joy during the season. They can be redeemed at partnering grocery and department stores.
Vouchers can be requested by completing applications and mailing them to Kiwanis Club of Levittown-Bristol Foundation Inc., PO Box 862 in Levittown. Berman said the Kiwanis Club has received between 15 and 20 letters so far. The volunteers will soon start to go through the letters and distribute the vouchers, she said.
The program got a surprise jolt of fundraising news earlier this week, when philanthropists Gene and Marlene Epstein pledged to contribute up to $50,000 to the effort. The Gene and Marla Humanitarian Foundation will match donations of $500 or more made by December 10 to the Bucks County Courier Times and the Intelligencer funds. Berman said she has received so far five donations more than $500.
The Kiwanis Club is just one of several organizations hoping Bucks County resident will dig deep to help on Giving Tuesday and throughout the holidays. The Bucks County Community College Foundation is raising money for its Fighting Food Insecurity Fund. The initiative’s 2019 goal of $10,000 raised on Giving Tuesday was surpassed with $15,500 of donations from 130 donors. Checks designated to the Food Insecurity Fund and payable to the foundation can be sent to 275 Swamp Road, Newtown, Pa. 18940.
The United Way of Bucks County has its own fundraising challenge to tackle this holiday weekend. Simon and Jane Hallet has pledged to donate $50,000 to the organization’s Community Support Campaign if 250 donations are made by Giving Tuesday.
Anyone wishing to donate can visit www.uwbucks.org/makehopehappen or by mailing a check to United Way of Bucks County, 413 Hood Blvd., Fairless Hills, 19030
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