2019 Burlington County families helping neighbors through “Give A Christmas”

Every contribution to “Give A Christmas” has a story. Some do it simply in the spirit of generosity. Some want to honor loved ones. Some are even looking to pay the good deed forward now.

WESTAMPTON — The holiday season can be difficult for some families, whether they’re coping with financial struggles or grief. Nancy Gulden said she knows what it’s like.

The Burlington Township resident lost her mother just a few days after Christmas, making the holidays a harder time for her in years to follow.

She now hopes to make other people smile around the holidays, and over the past few years, she has donated to the Burlington County Times’ “Give A Christmas” initiative to help others enjoy the season. She is one of hundreds who have donated to “Give A Christmas” again this year.

“It’s important to me because the spirit of Christmas is about giving,” Gulden said. “If we can give a little and make somebody happy, that’s important to me. A lot of people have hard things happen during the holidays, and that makes it harder to appreciate. But as I get older, it’s more apparent that you need to grasp onto your faith.”

In a partnership between The BCT and NJ 2-1-1, the campaign, now in its 52nd year, seeks to provide money in the form of gift cards to local families and individuals in need. Over the years, it has raised more than $3 million. This year’s initiative has already collected more than $10,000.

Donations have come from hundreds of individuals and families in the region, as well as local businesses and organizations, such as GMS Cleaning Services in Chesterfield, Jesus The Good Shepherd Parish in Beverly, the Springfield Township Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary, and the Woman’s Club of Edgewater Park.

Burlington County residents donate for several different reasons. Some do it to honor a loved one’s memory. Others do it simply in the spirit of generosity. And some know the struggle firsthand, and are looking to pay the good deed forward now.

Longtime donor Cynthia Helm, of Pemberton, said she and her husband Charles enjoy the chance to help others when money is tight.

“We’re doing good financially. God has been good to us,” she said. “We always try to help as much as we can every year.”

“Give A Christmas” has personal significance to Deborah Pica, a Willingboro, who contributed in honor of her loved ones this year.

“I think part of Christmas is remembering people who struggle. I came from that background,” Pica said. “I did volunteer work for a food bank. It was shocking to see the amount of people waiting in line. It’s humbling to know how difficult it is for people. That’s what I grew up with too. I came from a large family.”

Pica said she also enjoys the opportunity to donate locally.

“It’s local. People in the immediate area benefit,” she said.

Similarly, Eastampton resident Don Graham also likes knowing he’s making a direct impact on people in the area.

“At some point in life, a lot of us have needed help,” Graham said. “We knew from news all the toys go to local children who need help. I like the idea of giving and getting locally.”

Every year, Graham donates in honor of his parents to keep their memory alive. Growing up in Willingboro, he recalled that his father would “play Santa Claus” for other families in the neighborhood who were struggling. Once, when Graham was a kid, his father dropped off gifts to a neighbor who’d just lost his job recently.

“Good people sometimes fall on hard times,” Graham said. “We didn’t want the kids not to have a good Christmas.”

“It feels personal,” he said of the campaign. “We’re all a Burlington County family.”

Those who would like to donate to this year’s Give A Christmas can still to do so by sending 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. Donations made after December 13 will be applied to the 2020 Give A Christmas program.

Those who wish to seek help from the Give A Christmas campaign can do so by texting GAC to 898211 from Nov. 3 to Dec. 6. Appilcants should text “GAC” to 898211 and follow prompts to complete the application process. Those who are eligible will be required to provide photo identification, a copy of a social security card or birth certificate for each eligible child, proof of income and address.

NJ 2-1-1 can be reached at 211, 24 hours a day all year.

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