Over more than 50 years, The Burlington County Times has raised about $3 million to help families in need for the holidays. This year, the paper is teaming up with NJ 2-1-1 to make a more lasting impact.
WESTAMPTON — The Burlington County Times’ annual Give A Christmas program is back for another year. The initiative, which begins Monday, helped brighten the holidays for more than 1,600 children in need across the county last year.
Through last year’s Give A Christmas campaign, a joint effort by the Burlington County Times and Willingboro Rotary Club, $57,350 was distributed to hundreds of families.
Each year, struggling families write letters to the GAC campaign to describe their challenges and ask for assistance during the holiday season. Some of the letters come from parents with sick children, single family households, people who are struggling with addiction, or people who are unemployed.
This year, however, the structure of the program has changed. Upon recommendation from United Way New Jersey President John Emge, the Burlington County Times is teaming up with NJ 2-1-1, which has the necessary infrastructure to help vet applicants for the GAC program and a large database of agencies and resources to connect people with if needed.
The Burlington County Times will use 2-1-1′s text messaging platform to register GAC applicants. Those in need can text GAC to 898211, which will ask questions and direct individuals to an online application. In this process, 2-1-1 will also inform the applicant of the live and online assistance that is available 24/7. Families will receive Target gift cards this year.
“The idea is to help as many people in need at this time of year as possible,” Executive Editor Shane Fitzgerald said. “One of the things we’re adding this year is a way to help people sustain themselves beyond the Christmas season, giving resources to help them with transportation, child care or substance abuse. Not everybody understands the resources available to them.”
NJ 2-1-1, based in Morris County, is a contact center that runs the dialing code that allows people to get connected with human services resources that help them with their basic needs, from rental assistance to counseling to legal help. The agency’s expansive database includes 3,000 groups and 10,000 services representing the entire state, spanning across all 21 counties, NJ 2-1-1 Executive Director Melissa Acree said.
“We’re giving something tangible to families at the holiday season, but we’re also giving them the ability to help themselves beyond the temporary gift card,” Fitzgerald said.
Acree said she’s looking forward to building a rapport with the Burlington County Times and being part of the project.
“We empower people to find solutions,” she said of NJ 2-1-1′s mission. “We give them the places to go and the information they need so they can make the call, go to the agency, and see if that agency can help them.”
The GAC campaign raised about $3 million since its inception in 1968. Some years, the program raised as much as $100,000 for families in need.
The Ellis Family Charitable Foundation, founded by the family of former owners of the Burlington County Times, has made a significant donation to offset the additional cost incurred by NJ 2-1-1 for the seasonal help needed to conduct this program.
“We’ve really enjoyed the partnership between organizations working together,” Acree said. “It’s a family tradition that I think is really beautiful. It’s great to know there are different types of organizations coming together for this.”
NJ 2-1-1 is open 24 hours, seven days a week. For help finding resources for basic needs text your zip code to 898211.
Starting Monday, those who wish to seek help from the Give A Christmas campaign can do so by texting GAC to 898211. To be considered for assistance through the Give a Christmas program families should reach out by Dec. 6, so gift cards can be distributed by Dec. 18.
Those who would like to donate can send their donations to the Give A Christmas Fund, PO Box 70260, Philadelphia, Pa. 19176-9703.
Donations must include the donation form, which can be found in print in the daily newspaper or downloaded online at burlingtoncountytimes.com/GiveaChristmas.
Secure online donations can also be made on that same page.