Author: jgray

By Danielle DeSisto:

With the holidays approaching, the Burlington County Times and Willingboro Rotary Club are kicking off their annual Give A Christmas campaign to help needy families make the season bright for their children.

Now in its 50th year, the fund hopes to raise $80,000 to ease the burden of gift buying during the holidays for struggling families. The Give A Christmas fund has collected and distributed over $3 million to Burlington County families since 1968.

Last year, it raised $72,697, but $87,570 was distributed to 903 families using excess funds from previous years.

“I’m humbled that the region I live in has given so much money over decades of community service,” said Shane Fitzgerald, executive editor of the BCT. “I am proud that our newspapers are a big part of helping those in need at this time of year. It’s truly a partnership with our readers. And for a community newspaper, I’m not really sure there is anything we can do as a business that’s more important. And we’re a small part of it, because our readers who donate are really the ones who make this happen.”

County families with children age 17 and younger are eligible to be considered for assistance. Individuals submit letters explaining their hardship and request for help.

Tom Dickson, of the Willingboro Rotary Club, said he’s always moved by the community’s support for Give A Christmas.

“Sometimes people send us letters requesting help, and then a few years later they send us a letter wanting to help,” Dickson said. “That’s something I always look forward to every year.”

The Burlington County Times and Willingboro Rotary Club are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Give A Christmas.

“This project is a proud legacy for the employees of the BCT, and we are honored to celebrate its 50th anniversary with our hardworking friends at the Willingboro Rotary Club,” said Amy Gianficaro, director of communications and community engagement at the BCT. “The club makes sure letters are carefully read, evaluated for eligibility, and that Burlington County families who need help at the holidays are given it through Give A Christmas.”

Donations and letters of assistance should be sent to Give A Christmas, c/o Burlington County Times, 4284 Route 130 N., Willingboro, N.J. 08046. 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. Letters should include the family’s full name and complete return address on the outside of the envelope. Please print or write appeals, and address the envelope neatly. Letters requesting help should be postmarked by Dec. 15. Only one request letter per family. Because of the high volume of requests, fund organizers cannot promise assistance for everyone who seeks it.

All of your cash or check donation 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, 4284 Route 130 N., Willingboro, N.J. 08046. Make checks payable to Give A Christmas.

Letters to Give A Christmas must include the family’s full name, return address, the number and ages of children, and an explanation of the hardship. Letters can be mailed by Dec. 15 to Give A Christmas, c/o Burlington County Times, 4284 Route 130, Willingboro, N.J. 08046.

Anyone with questions should contact Audrey Harvin, managing editor, at aharvin@thebct.com.

By Shane Fitzgerald:

This is a milestone year for our Give A Christmas program. It’s been 50 years for the Burlington County Times, 60 years for the Bucks County Courier Times and 30 years for The Intelligencer and together, the papers and — most importantly our readers — have raised significant money mostly through small donations. We celebrate our readers by recognizing them in our publications.

I am amazed, year after year, how generous these communities have been. Time and time again, when needs come up, the residents show compassion through their wallets.

Give A Christmas strikes me right in the chest. The way the money is distributed helps families, in most cases with children under 17, in a way in which they need. Sometimes, it provides a gift for kids who might not get one. Other times, it helps pay the utility or food bills. And it’s not just about Christmas. It helps anyone in need, regardless of their faith or politics.

We live in an amazing area and are so fortunate to have all that we do. Not everyone has the same resources and opportunities and often people get in a bad place through no fault of their own.

It hits me hard because my family needed public assistance when I was in elementary school, as my parents split and my father had his demons with substance abuse.

I was shocked that people simply gave money and food to people who were in a tough situation like ours. My mom explained to me as a 7-year-old and my three younger siblings how important it was that other people helped us when we were down on our luck. That type of help gave my mom a better chance to finish college. She was successful, made herself a role model to me to make sure I graduated from college, and she got us to a place that we didn’t need the help that others could use.

It also taught me about the positive in others. And I have tried to live my life in a way to pay it forward. I thank John Van Eps, my junior high school choir teacher (I can’t sing a lick, by the way) for extolling upon me and my classmates that the most important thing we can do to give back is time, energy and money, in that order.

Many people have it much tougher than I did when I was a child. And I know how much my family appreciated the help.

The BCT and the Willingboro Rotary Club partner to collect and distribute monetary donations to assist struggling local families. The fund was first established in 1968 to collect for families in need. Readers historically have supported the Give A Christmas fund with heart-felt generosity but for the past few years, expenses has been greater than income. That means our charitable partners received eligible requests for assistance from families in need that exceeded the money the newspapers collected. This year we set a goal of $80,000 to help those in need.

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.

So as you’re charting out your holiday charity giving this season, we ask you to consider our Give A Christmas fund. Every dollar you give goes into the program, and our newspapers and partners cover administrative costs. Every little bit helps. Have a great holiday season, and I hope part of the season being great for you includes the gift of giving.

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