Now in its seventh year, #GivingTuesday has helped people all over the world with gifts of money, time and assistance.
The effort, held the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, serves as an opportunity for people to include charitable organizations in their holiday plans.
Here in Bucks County, there is an opportunity to assist your neighbors in need and organizers hope the annual Give A Christmas fund will be on your #GivingTuesday gift list.
The Intelligencer, along with the Bucks County Opportunity Council, is asking readers to open their hearts and wallets to help hundreds of local families this holiday season. This year marks the 31st anniversary of the Give A Christmas fund, which hopes to meet its goal of raising $140,000.
The fund is administered by the Opportunity Council with 10 percent of the proceeds shared with Keystone Opportunity Center. The two community action agencies work on behalf of Give A Christmas to identify individuals and families needing financial assistance during the holidays.
In 2017, the community contributed $139,439.46 to Give A Christmas which allowed the Opportunity Council to provide assistance to 472 families (1,465 individuals) with the average assistance per family of $187. Of the families served, the average family income was $16,211.
To mail a donation, use the donation coupon from the newspaper or download a copy at www.theintell.com/giveachristmas. Make checks payable to BCOC-Give A Christmas and mail them in care of The Bucks County Opportunity Council, PO Box #1807, Doylestown, PA 18901. To use a credit card, visit www.bcoc.org and click Donate to Give A Christmas.