Author: cveltri

Already Burlington County Times readers are showing up big in donating to our expanded Give A Christmas program. And as always, we appreciate it, especially getting 2019 off to a quick start.

We started the program two weeks earlier than usual because we changed several of our processes and added NJ 211 as a resource to help Burlington County families.

We have had one glitch, and it’s a communication misunderstanding on our part. We’ve had a few people write in critical of the revamped program, believing that because the post office box we are using is in Philadelphia, it means donations are being guided outside Burlington County. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Philadelphia post office box is secure and dedicated solely to the BCT’s Give A Christmas venture. It’s part of the safety of funds and strict accountability we are holding ourselves to in being the leader in this program. In previous years, we would have donors drop checks — or worse, cash — in envelopes in our mail slot or at the front door of the office. We took great care to account for all of that, but when we looked at the program, it was absolutely one of our highest priorities to make sure every dollar safely goes where it is supposed to go.

We also wanted to have the highest standards in making sure our recipients meet the minimum qualifications to receive donations.

With NJ 211 in place, the screening specifically asks if applicants are from Burlington County; if not, they are immediately informed they are not eligible. The GAC application also is titled Burlington’s Give A Christmas, so it’s clear on any forms for which program the applicant has applied.

Give A Christmas is a special initiative of NJ 211 in partnership with the Burlington County Times. It focuses on Burlington County residents only. NJ 211 has other special initiatives that are county specific, such as its role in Passaic, Morris and Middlesex as the single point of entry and coordinated assessment for the homeless. NJ 211 also works with Bergen County screening for its Compassion Fund.

“Although, we are a statewide information and referral service, we do play a specialized role in several counties,” NJ 211 Executive Director Melissa Acree said. “The GAC is a new and exciting role for NJ 211 in Burlington County. We are utilizing a combination of our communication technology and a dedicated call specialist to screen and process GAC applications. We are thrilled to play a part in bringing smiles to many children on Christmas morning.”

Our Give A Christmas campaign was started by the Ellis family in 1968 and has raised more than $3 million over the course of its existence, including more than $57,000 last year, and we hope to exceed that figure this year.

Former BCT owner Shirley Ellis, who passed away three years ago this week, was a driving force in the paper’s program. When BCT Managing Editor Audrey Harvin and I approached Ellis’ son, Stan, about changing course with the program to try to help more people and bring in more donations, he loved the idea to grow and enhance a legacy for which his mother was fiercely proud of personally and professionally.

We assure our generous BCT readers that your money will stay in this county to help its residents in need. All who are part of this are committed to that singular goal.

You’ve donated more than $3 million over the years and helped thousands and thousands of local residents. We hope you will continue to keep on giving, as you have for more than five decades.

Shane Fitzgerald is Atlantic Sub-Regional Executive Editor for GateHouse Media, including the Burlington County Times and 20 other publications in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and Maryland. Contact him at sfitzgerald@thebct.com.

The “Give A Christmas” initiative has helped families in need for more than 50 years, raising more than $3 million in donations. Through a partnership with NJ 2-1-1, the Burlington County Times hopes to make a longer-lasting impact.

WESTAMPTON — In early November, the Burlington County Times announced the introduction of a revamped Give A Christmas initiative in collaboration with the statewide call center NJ 2-1-1.

Give A Christmas initiative has helped families for more than 50 years, raising more than $3 million in donations. The BCT’s new partnership with 2-1-1 aims to take that effort further by helping any families who reach out to the Give A Christmas campaign find solutions for the other challenges they face, and ultimately, get closer to attaining a more sustainable future.

“We empower people to find solutions,” Executive Director Melissa Acree 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.”

Here are a few facts about this year’s Give A Christmas partner.

1. Founded in 2005, NJ 2-1-1 is one of 240 resource centers of its kind throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. It connects callers to local health and human services resources for basic needs such as food, clothing, utilities assistance, legal help, counseling or disaster recovery.
2. The call center has a resource database, which has accumulated 3,000 agencies and 10,000 services that span across every county of the state. The database is also available online for any user to search.
3. The call center is open 24 hours every day of the year, and is also available by text message at 898211. This year, those who are in need can text “GAC” to the six-digit number, which will ask questions and direct individuals to an online application. In this process, NJ 2-1-1 will also inform the applicants of other assistance that is available to them.
4. NJ 2-1-1 also operates a 24/7 homeless hotline for three counties — Middlesex, Morris and Passaic — and an after-hours homeless hotline for Salem and Hudson counties.
5. In 2018, 561,592 people sought assistance from NJ 2-1-1.

Those who wish to seek help from the Give A Christmas campaign can do so by texting GAC to 898211. The agency asks that families 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.

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.

Our Burlington County Times Give A Christmas campaign was started by the Ellis family in 1968 and has raised more than $3 million over the course of its existence, including more than $57,000 last year.

We are extraordinarily proud to have made that tangible an impact in this community for more than 50 years, in working with the Willingboro Rotary Club.

Our previous owners, the Calkins family, also built successful campaigns at our sister papers in Pennsylvania, at the Bucks County Courier Times, The Intelligencer in Doylestown and the Beaver County Times, which collectively have raised more than $10 million since 1958.

So why mess with a good thing? We believe we can have even greater impact and include more people in need in Burlington County beyond the Christmas season.

Managing Editor Audrey Harvin deserves a tremendous amount of credit for us taking a critical look at our GAC program. “Shane, I know we can do more. I know we can. We have to do more,” she said to me on more than one occasion.

We sought the help, and frankly, the blessing of Stan Ellis, former publisher and owner of the BCT, whose mother, Shirley, was passionate about the Give A Christmas program. Ellis liked our overall vision of trying to help more people in more ways. “Let me get back with you,” he said in his quiet, unassuming way.

Stan connected Audrey and me with John Emge, president of Trusted Path Consulting and a local and respected leader in the Burlington County nonprofit world. “Let me get back with you,” he said in his quiet, unassuming way.

Emge’s first idea for us made complete sense. He suggested partnering with NJ 2-1-1, a statewide information and referral service that connects people in need to resources that help with food, housing and utility assistance, mental health services, transportation, senior services and more.

NJ 2-1-1 has the infrastructure to vet Give A Christmas recipients to ensure donations are going to those truly in need. It also has a database of more than 10,000 programs and services that could help families find solutions to the other challenges they face, empowering them to find a more sustainable future.

NJ 2-1-1 Executive Director Melissa Acree has been a godsend in helping us get set up, including expanding the ways people can seek help. We will use their text message platform to register GAC applicants and inform them of the live and online assistance that is available 24/7.

We weren’t quite done. We needed to find a partner to handle the money and the accountability for the money, and to distribute donations.

One area we felt could be improved was getting out of the check-writing business, which is how we previously distributed funds through the Willlingboro Rotary Club. We decided utilizing gift cards was a more secure and modern way to distribute funds.

So Emge connected us with a local foundation that has the infrastructure and accountability arm to check that last box we needed. We are respecting the foundation’s wishes not to be identified to avoid the perception that its affiliate may unfairly benefit from any connection with the Give A Christmas program.

The Ellis Family Charitable Foundation 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. And the Bucks County Opportunity Council has been invaluable in helping by sharing its best practices for our program with The Intelligencer. We also want to thank the Willingboro Rotary Club for its tremendous support to the Give A Christmas program over the decades.

Give A Christmas will launch next Monday, Nov. 4, and the Burlington County Times will continue its tradition of bringing you stories, updates and listings of donors. We will write soon with more details about the revamped program and how readers can contribute as they have for more than 50 years.

Shane Fitzgerald is an Atlantic Sub-Regional Executive Editor for GateHouse Media, including the Burlington County Times and 20 other publications in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and Maryland. Contact him at sfitzgerald@thebct.com.

EDGEWATER PARK — A grandmother who recently lost her son has taken it upon herself to raise the 3-year-old daughter he left behind.

She’s also raising her two other young granddaughters for her other son, who’s currently in rehab to combat his drug addiction. The girls’ mother also uses drugs, leaving the grandmother to look after them.

Taking care of three girls isn’t always easy for the grandmother, as she wrote in a letter to the Give A Christmas fund co-sponsored by the Burlington County Times and Willingboro Rotary.

“I don’t have a lot of money and I’m disabled,” she wrote. “I need all the help I can get.”

Despite all the hardship her granddaughters have faced, the grandmother dreams of seeing them smile on Christmas morning.

Since 1968, the Give A Christmas fund has collected and distributed $3 million to thousands of local families who’ve fallen on difficult times. Now in its 51st year, the annual campaign aims to help needy families make the season bright for their children.

For more information or to donate toward the $70,000 goal, visit stories.usatodaynetwork.com/burlingtonchristmas.

MAPLE SHADE — The day a mother’s two young boys were taken away from her was the same day she decided to turn her life around.

Her grandmother received custody of her sons, but the mother’s rights to her children were suspended.

“That’s what it took for me to get sober,” the mother wrote to the Give A Christmas fund, co-sponsored by the Burlington County Times and the Willingboro Rotary. “I worked so hard, harder than I ever have in my life, but I was blind to what I was doing to them.”

The mother, who lives in Maple Shade, became addicted to drugs after being prescribed heavy medications for injuries sustained in a car accident. Now, she’s proud to say she’s been clean for almost a year and earned back custody of her sons.

But challenges still remain for the family. That’s why the mother is asking for help from Give a Christmas to give her boys the holiday they deserve.

“I am on a fixed income and just about all of my money goes to bills so we can have a home, food, hot water and electricity,” the mother wrote. “I know that money and toys don’t make up for the things I’ve done, and I will never stop trying to fix things.”

Since 1968, the Give A Christmas fund has collected and distributed $3 million to thousands of local families who’ve fallen on difficult times. Now in its 51st year, the annual campaign aims to help needy families make the season bright for their children.

For more information or to donate towards the $70,000 goal, visit stories.usatodaynetwork.com/burlingtonchristmas.

 

BURLINGTON CITY — As she struggles to pay rent, a single mother in Burlington Township isn’t sure how she’ll afford Christmas gifts for her four children this year.

“I work so hard to give my children a life, but something always happens to break our spirits,” the mother wrote in a letter to the Give A Christmas fund, co-sponsored by the Burlington County Times and Willingboro Rotary Club.

The mother recently lost her job and the family’s budget is incredibly tight. Nevertheless, her four small children hope the holidays will bring them joy.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do. My kids are really looking forward to Christmas. I don’t want to disappoint them this year,” the mother wrote. “With help from Give A Christmas, I will be able to give my kids a wonderful Christmas this year because they truly deserve it.”

Since 1968, the Give A Christmas fund has collected and distributed $3 million to thousands of local families who’ve fallen on difficult times. Now in its 51st year, the annual campaign aims to help needy families make the season bright for their children.

For more information or to donate towards the $70,000 goal, visit stories.usatodaynetwork.com/burlingtonchristmas.

One of the points of pride we have as a newspaper is that we really do exist to serve our community. Bringing readers local news is Job No. 1, of course, but we do feel a responsibility beyond that.

Perhaps the most tangible example of what that means to us has been our decades-long commitment to our Give A Christmas program, which starts today, Sunday. Our previous owners, the Calkins family, started the program 61 years ago at the Bucks County Courier Times. They brought it to the Burlington County Times 51 years ago and to The Intelligencer in Doylestown 31 years ago. Last year, our generous readers surpassed the $10 million mark in funds raised, including more than $300,000 last year.

The newspapers changed ownership to GateHouse Media in 2017, but the commitment to Give A Christmas has not changed. All proceeds go into the distribution funds. Any overhead costs are absorbed by the BCT, Courier Times and Intelligencer and their charitable partners.

Locally, the BCT and Willingboro Rotary Club work together to collect and distribute donations to assist struggling local families. Readers historically have supported the Give A Christmas fund with heartfelt generosity, but for the past few years requests for need have been greater than the amount raised.

After collecting $68,639 at the BCT last year, we set a goal for 2018 of $70,000. That will add on to the more than $3 million that BCT readers have donated through the years — a big number for which this community should be extraordinarily proud.

Burlington County residents with children age 17 and younger are eligible to be considered for assistance. Requests must be made by parents or legal guardians and include the names and ages of their children. Readers can find information to submit requests and give donations at our website, burlingtoncountynews.com/giveachristmas, or find information daily in our Community section.

Last year, more than 2,000 county children benefited from the program, mostly from modest to large donations from readers. Every dollar counts and is important. We honor those who donate by recognizing them in our newspapers, publishing almost-daily lists. Over and over, when needs come up, residents show their generosity through their wallets.

Sometimes, Give A Christmas proceeds provide a gift for kids who might not get one. Other times, it helps pay the utility or food bill. And it’s not just about Christmas. It helps anyone in need, regardless of their faith or politics.

We live in a remarkable area and are so fortunate to be as blessed as we are. Unfortunately, not everyone has the same opportunities or resources, and often people get in a bind through no fault of their own.

So as you’re considering your holiday charity giving this season, we ask you to donate to Give A Christmas. Every little bit helps — we’ve received everything from $1 to thousands of dollars, and each benefits someone. Have a great holiday season, and I hope the gift of giving is in your plans.

Shane Fitzgerald is executive editor of the Burlington County Times, Bucks County Courier Times and Doylestown Intelligencer. Email: sfitzgerald@thebct.com. Twitter: @sfitzg5.

It only takes a little to bring a big smile to a child’s face on Christmas morning.

Such is the mission of the annual Give A Christmas campaign, a joint effort by the Burlington County Times and Willingboro Rotary Club which collects and distributes monetary donations to assist struggling local families at the holidays.

Since its inception in 1968, more than $3 million has been collected for Burlington County families in need. This year’s fund goal is $70,000.

“I am most excited for the Willingboro Rotary Club to once again join with the Burlington County Times to connect the generous people of Burlington County with those county residents who are less fortunate,” said Paul Barbin, member of the Willingboro Rotary.

Each year, struggling families write letters to Give A Christmas to describe their hardship and ask for assistance. Many letters come from parents of sick children, single parents, those struggling to find employment, or families facing eviction.

The holidays were a little brighter for nearly 2,000 children in need in 2017 thanks to the generosity of the Burlington County community. Donors contributed $69,138.

“Give A Christmas is near and dear to my heart,” said Shane Fitzgerald, executive editor of the Burlington County Times and Bucks County Courier Times and The Intelligencer in Pennsylvania. “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.”

“The good people of Burlington County will come through like they always do. With their help, we can put smiles on the faces of many children this Christmas,” said Tom Dickson, Willingboro Rotary member.

Burlington County residents with children age 17 and younger are eligible to be considered for assistance. Requests must be made by parents or legal guardians and include the names and ages of their children.

TO GET HELP: Donations and letters of assistance should be sent to Give A Christmas, c/o Burlington County Times, 116 Burrs Road, Suite B, Westampton, NJ 08060.

Parents, custodial grandparents and other legal guardians from Burlington County requesting help may write letters to the above address. Letters sent by other relatives, family friends, children or those who are incarcerated will not be considered. Letters must include the number and ages of children 17 and younger in the household and an explanation of the hardship. Requests without the names and ages of children will not be considered. Letters should include the family’s full name and complete return address on the outside of the envelope. Please print or type appeals, and address the envelope neatly.

Letters requesting help should be postmarked by Dec. 11. Emails, calls and hand-delivered requests for assistance will not be accepted. Only one request letter per family, please. Because of the high volume of requests, fund organizers cannot promise assistance for everyone who seeks it.

TO GIVE HELP: All cash or check donations reach needy families. Please include the donation form found in print in the daily newspaper or available for download at burlingtoncountytimes.com/GiveaChristmas. Send this with your donation to: Give A Christmas, c/o Burlington County Times, 116 Burrs Road, Suite B, Westampton, NJ 08060. Make checks payable to Give A Christmas. Hand-delivered donations will not be accepted.

QUESTIONS: Contact Audrey Harvin, managing editor, at aharvin@thebct.com.