With Christmas just days away, it’s easy to get caught up in the stress of checking holiday tasks off your endless to-do list.
But in the spirit of the season, let’s remember Christmas is a time for giving, a chance to think of those around us who may need a little extra help after a particularly tough year.
Christmas brings with it the opportunity to bring a little warmth and cheer to your neighbors in need.
An easy way to do this is by donating to the annual Give A Christmas fund, a campaign administered by the Levittown-Bristol Kiwanis Club, in partnership with the Bucks County Courier Times.
Letters have continued to come in from struggling families looking for a way to provide a bit of joy to their children this holiday season. Their stories, many handwritten on lined notebook paper, include job layoffs, lost loved ones and illness. They come from Levittown, Bristol, Bensalem, Morrisville, Croydon, and several other communities across Lower Bucks.
“Every dollar that is given by this community truly helps to lighten the burdens of others. Any donation will help to keep the spirit of giving alive at Christmas,” said Mary Berman, Kiwanis Club board member, past president and one of the main organizers of the campaign.
The money collected is distributed primarily as $35 vouchers for children in struggling families in Lower Bucks County. The vouchers are redeemable at participating local supermarkets and other stores to help parents and grandparents put a meal on the table or gifts under the tree. This year, at least 3,100 vouchers have been supplied so far.
Additionally, remaining funds go towards helping families throughout the year, going towards expenses such as heating oil, furniture or medication.
This year’s fundraising goal is $132,000, an increase of $12,000 after last year’s campaign far-exceeded expectations with a record $218,379 raised. With only a week to go, the campaign is just shy of half of its goal.
With only a few weeks left in the campaign, contributions are still very much needed.
“While we are behind in donations this year from our goal and from last year, I’m confident our community understands the needs after a difficult year in Lower Bucks, especially given the significant weather events that turned so many lives upside down,” said Shane Fitzgerald, executive editor of the Bucks County Courier Times. “Our readers have stepped up for decades, and I hope they will do so again down the stretch. The Give A Christmas funds go directly to recipients who need it most, so one can make an immediate impact with their donation.”
— Michele Haddon, Special to the Bucks County Courier Times
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