Author: Jciavaglia

Thanks to the generosity of the community, Christmas miracles came true in hundreds of low-income households locally this holiday season.

It’s no sentimental exaggeration.

Local families, individuals, businesses, foundations and other entities stepped up to donate more than $206,000 to Give A Christmas, an annual charitable initiative from The Intelligencer that provides help to neighbors in need in Central and Upper Bucks County and Eastern Montgomery County during the holidays.

The tally smashed the seasonal goal of $165,000. Some donors were especially generous: Bucks County-based philanthropist Gene Epstein donated $25,000 in a matching challenge that generated more funds. Locals like Dave and Kathleen Creamer made multiple donations, with a second coming to help meet Epstein’s match goal.

“Bucks County Opportunity Council is once again humbled by the generosity of the Bucks County community,” said Erin Lukoss, CEO and executive director of BCOC, which administers Give A Christmas in partnership with The Intelligencer, sharing 10% of the proceeds with Keystone Opportunity Center, a Souderton-based poverty-fighting agency.

Lukoss continued: “People here care about one another and during this really challenging time, we have seen people again and again step up to help. Thank you is hardly enough, but I am grateful for the opportunity to thank everyone for their kindness to make the holiday and rest of the year a little brighter for families who have struggled.”

Give A Christmas support includes everything from assistance with buying gifts and groceries, to paying for rent, medicine, bills and utility expenses. During the holiday stretch, BCOC provided such aid to 1,084 people in 375 households. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Keystone Opportunity Center assisted about 250 households.

Malcolm Friend, director of resource development at Keystone Opportunity Center, said that each recipient was “deeply touched by the outpouring of community support.”

“One large household of children is being brought up by their grandparents,” Friend shared. “The grandparents were able to ensure gifts for each of their grandchildren, including toys, new clothing and edible treats. The grandparents asked us to convey how deeply thankful they are to each and every one who donated to Give A Christmas.”

The good that Give A Christmas delivers doesn’t conclude with the holiday season. Money not dispersed during the holidays is used to help locals throughout the year with everything from transportation, food, employment and education, to childcare, housing, healthcare and other individualized needs.

“The generosity of Give A Christmas giving extends the holiday season and supports BCOC in assisting our neighbors who request help,” said Tammy Schoonover, BCOC’s chief program officer.

Bucks County Opportunity Council will continue accepting donations to Give A Christmas through Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 17.

“We are truly blessed,” said Joseph Cuozzo, director of development at BCOC, “by the generosity of this community. It’s because that generosity that we can help people during the holidays and throughout the year.”

— Chris Ruvo, Special to The Intelligencer

It’s time to put the Christmas spirit into action.

Amid the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and 39-year-high inflation, people throughout Bucks and eastern Montgomery counties could you use a helping hand financially to make the season bright — or even just to keep the lights on and put food on the table.

The Intelligencer’s Give A Christmas, an annual holiday season charitable initiative, is here to help those neighbors in need. It can only do so, however, if people donate to the fund. And with the holiday period nearing its zenith, now is the time to step up and give.

“If every donor would repeat their gift from last year, we would make our fundraising goal,” said Joseph Cuozzo, director of development at the Bucks County Opportunity Council, which administers the fund in partnership with The Intelligencer. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that every dollar donated makes a difference.”

As of this week, generous locals had donated more than $101,000 to Give A Christmas — not a bad tally, but still short of the 2021 seasonal goal of $165,000.

The money given so far already has been put to good use. More than 250 households have received assistance from the BCOC. The Souderton-based Keystone Opportunity Center, which receives 10% of the Give A Christmas proceeds, has also used the donations to provide help to some 250 households/families. More are being helped every day.

Support includes everything from assistance with buying gifts and groceries, to paying for rent, medicine, bills and utility expenses. Notably, money not dispersed during the holidays is used to help locals in need throughout the year with everything from food and rent to employment assistance.

Recipients reside in Central and Upper Bucks County, as well as Eastern Montgomery County and the North Penn and Indian Valley communities.

Malcom Friend, director of resource development at the Keystone Opportunity Center, said that he wishes he could share the “smiles, tears and words of gratitude” from Give A Christmas beneficiaries with everyone considering donating and those who have already donated.

One client, for instance, choked up as she told Friend how the support would enable her to add to the food she can put on her table for family during the holidays and allow her to buy her grandchildren small gifts.

“It’s truly a Godsend,” the woman said. “It’s so nice to know that somebody cares. I am thankful for everyone who takes time in their busy lives to help make the holidays feel normal.”

Just like that grandmother, every recipient has their own story.

There’s the woman who just beat breast cancer and is working full time, but still can’t quite catch up amid the mounting bills and soaring cost of virtually everything. There’s the family where a husband recently lost his job and the wife is disabled, choking income to a trickle. There’s the woman who lost hours at work due to COVID-19 and can’t make ends meet.

These are all real people — neighbors in the community — who have benefitted from Give A Christmas. Donors say that local element, combined with the knowledge one is putting some good into the world, is what compels them to support the fund.

“People want to give back to things they care about, and they understand that Give A Christmas will directly benefit people close to home,” said one donor. “What influences people is the heart.”

— Chris Ruvo, Special to The Intelligencer

I had the good fortune Wednesday to attend the Bucks County Community College’s holiday gathering. I say good fortune because we actually could get together and actually, physically see good people I hadn’t seen anywhere but a Zoom call in about two years.

We all were there to support the good work done at BCCC and celebrate the important role the school plays in our community.

It was nice to be around people for a good cause, rallying together and putting aside whatever differences we may have on vaccines, masks, gun rights, politics, etc. It’s been a tough couple of years, with far too much anger and vitriol surrounding us and not nearly enough understanding, compassion and empathy for others.

It was good for the soul.

As I walked to the car after the event, I thought about what I was going to write to encourage readers to contribute again to our Give A Christmas program. GAC certainly qualifies as a good-for-the-soul opportunity. Many in our community still are recovering from the flooding, tornadoes, Hurricane Ida remnants, and of course, pandemic effects. We can’t forget those who still are battling back.

The Intelligencer partners with the Bucks County Opportunity Council to collect and distribute monetary donations. The BCOC is one of the pre-eminent nonprofit organizations and helps thousands of Bucks County residents every year, with financial assistance to life-changing opportunities.

Our previous owners, the Calkins family, started the Give A Christmas initiative 64 years ago at the Bucks County Courier Times. They brought it to the Burlington County Times 54 years ago and to The Intelligencer 34 years ago. Our generous community has donated well in excess of $10 million over the years, and more than $3 million by Intelligencer readers.

And Intelligencer readers last year brought in a record $261,000 in the extraordinary year that was 2020.

The average family receiving help has an annual income of $17,597. Intelligencer readers, since 1988, have supported the Give A Christmas fund with heartfelt generosity, but the eligible requests for assistance from families in need exceeded the money the newspapers collected. This year, we set a goal of $165,000 — more in line with previous years to 2020 — to help those in need. We are making a push to get as close to that goal as close to Dec. 15 as possible so families can receive distributions safely before Christmas this year.

We’re about halfway there, so your help would be greatly appreciated now.

Bucks and Montgomery County residents with children age 17 and younger are eligible for consideration for assistance, and the BCOC works with its partners to distribute funds throughout the community. A portion also goes to the Keystone Opportunity Council to assist those in Eastern Montgomery County. Readers can find information to submit requests and give donations at our website www.theintell.com/giveachristmas or find information daily in our print news pages.

Last year, hundreds of Bucks and eastern Montgomery 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 publications, publishing almost-daily lists of donors. Over and over, when needs come up, residents show their generosity through their wallets.

As we’re only about halfway to our goal so far. So your help is absolutely needed again this year.

Readers can find information to submit requests and give donations at our website www.theintell.com/giveachristmas and find information daily in our print product’s news pages.

Sometimes, Give A Christmas proceeds provide 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 faith or politics.

We live in a wonderful area and are fortunate. What is unfortunate is that not everyone has the same opportunities or resources and often people get in a bad spot through no fault of their own. That is especially true this year.

I hope the gift of giving, even during these trying times, is in your heart and wallets. So many are in need, especially at this time and in this place. You can, and will, make a difference. The positive energy can only enrich this holiday season.

Shane Fitzgerald is Executive Editor of the Bucks County Courier Times and the State Editor for the USA Today Network’s 14 Pennsylvania media outlets. Contact him at sfitzgerald@couriertimes.com.

The spirt of the Christmas season burns brightly in the heart of Diane Paul.

The way the Plumstead woman sees it, “we’re all here to help each other.” It’s that compassionate outlook that’s compelled Paul to donate to The Intelligencer’s annual Give A Christmas fund for years.

“People don’t necessarily realize that there are community members in need in Bucks County, but the reality is that there are local people dealing with circumstances beyond their control — circumstances that are not their fault — that need a little help,” said Paul. “I’ve been blessed, and if I can help bring a little light to someone else’s life, it’s my responsibility to do so.”

Other folks who have consistently donated to Give A Christmas over its more than 30 years of existence give similar reasons for their contributions. Like Paul, they appreciate that the charitable holiday season initiative directly benefits people in need who live in the community.

Benefiting low-income people in Central and Upper Bucks County, as well as Eastern Montgomery County and the North Penn and Indian Valley communities, the fund provides a variety of assistance. That includes everything from help with buying gifts and groceries, to paying for rent, medicine, bills and utility expenses.

Money not dispersed during the holidays is used to support locals in need throughout the year with everything from food and rent to employment assistance.

Nancy and Clarence Walbert have been donating to Give A Christmas ever since they moved back to the area more than 20 years ago following their time living in New Jersey. They appreciate that the funds benefit people who live locally.

“We’ve always been local givers. It feels good to give back to our community,” said Clarence.

Added Nancy: “Hundreds of families have benefitted from this wonderful fund and go on to contribute themselves. It’s at the top of our list for holiday contributions and needed now more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Bucks County Opportunity Council (BCOC), which administers the fund in partnership with The Intelligencer, can confirm the truth of that statement, saying that need remains elevated in a year beset by local natural disasters and continued COVID-caused economic hardships foisted on the area’s most vulnerable people.

“Give A Christmas is a great way for people to support the needs of local families,” said Joseph Cuozzo, director of development at BCOC, which shares 10% of the proceeds with the Souderton-based nonprofit Keystone Opportunity Center.

David Creamer agrees with Cuozzo.

Creamer is treasurer of the Montgomery County-based Francis J. Raab Foundation, a philanthropic organization that supports veterans, worthy charities and more. The Rabb Foundation has been among Give A Christmas’ most faithful givers, donating annually for more than 30 years now.

“I like that it’s local and that the support is going to people in need in the neighborhood,” said Creamer. “It’s the Christmas spirt to help out folks who need help. That’s why we do it, and why we’ll continue to do it.”

Without such altruism, Give A Christmas would not be able to execute its mission, said Cuozzo.

It was generous individuals, businesses, families, nonprofits, places of worship and other organizations that empowered the fund to achieve a record fundraising tally of more than a quarter-million dollars. This year’s goal is $165,000 – a mark BCOC would be happy to surpass.

“Without donors, there is no Give A Christmas,” Cuozzo said. “BCOC and Keystone couldn’t help families during Give A Christmas without the support. The donors are Give A Christmas. BCOC is only the conduit to bring people together. That’s what BCOC and community action are all about – bringing people together to help others.”

— Chris Ruvo, Special to The Intelligencer

Every dollar donated to Give A Christmas makes a difference.

Just ask Brittany Workman.

The mother of two from the Quakertown area has relied on the charitable fund to help provide Christmas gifts for her sons. Without the help, it’s unlikely there’d be any toys beneath the tree, as money is just too tight.

Certainly, that financial reality is not Workman’s fault.

Her youngest son, an infant, was on life support after being born. Major health problems have persisted for the boy, who requires ongoing, expensive medical attention.

Given the child’s needs, Workman must be a constant presence and can’t take a job, meaning the household relies on one income. Amid health care bills, runaway inflation and the high cost of living in the five-county Philadelphia region, there’s just not much left over for the holidays.

Still, thanks to gift cards received through Give A Christmas, Workman can purchase her three-year-old son and her baby boy Christmas gifts.

“Last Christmas, my older son was just ecstatic — excited as could be,” Workman said of his reaction upon receiving presents. “When you donate to Give A Christmas, it makes such a huge difference for people like my family.”

The Intelligencer’s Give A Christmas initiative has been making that difference annually since 1988.

Benefiting low-income people in Central and Upper Bucks County, as well as Eastern Montgomery County and the North Penn and Indian Valley communities, the fund delivers financial assistance to individuals and families in need during the holidays. The assistance centers on everything from help with buying gifts and groceries, to paying for rent, medicine, bills and utility expenses.

Administered by the Bucks County Opportunity Council (BCOC) in partnership with The Intelligencer, 10% of the proceeds are shared with Souderton-based Keystone Opportunity Center. Money not dispersed during the holidays is used to support locals in need throughout the year with everything from food and rent to employment assistance.

Still, the nonprofits can only do their noble work if people give generously to Give A Christmas, as the fund is powered by donations. Over the years, local individuals, businesses, trusts, houses of worship and other organizations have contributed about $3 million. Last year was a record-breaker, with more than $261,000 in donations flowing into the fund.

Organizers are hoping for another outpouring of generosity this year, as need remains high amid continued economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, inflationary pressures that are choking household budgets, and expensive recovery from natural disasters like Hurricane Ida.

“We continue to be amazed by the generosity of the people in this county, and we know they will continue stepping up this year,” said Joseph Cuozzo, director of development at BCOC. “I wish I could thank everyone face-to-face for every gift, large or small. They all make a difference.”

Audrey, a beneficiary of Give A Christmas, is also feeling deep thanks.

The local woman was working to improve her situation by enrolling in BCOC’s economic self-sufficiency program. Even as she took such steps, fate went against her: Her landlord planned to evict her at the end of the year. New Year’s Eve was to be her final day in her apartment.

However, BCOC stepped in to ensure Audrey and her children wouldn’t start 2022 on the streets.

The nonprofit, Bucks County’s lead anti-poverty agency, helped Audrey locate another viable apartment. Funds from Give A Christmas are being used to help her move into her new place prior to the holiday.

“She is very grateful for BCOC and the assistance she has received,” said Tammy Schoonover, chief program officer at Bucks County Opportunity Council.

Another local feeling grateful is Rosa.

The Warminster woman has guardianship over her three eldest grandchildren. Give A Christmas enables her to provide them with holiday gifts – a soul-lift for her and the kids.

“I’ve been using the program for three or four years now,” Rosa said. “It’s a big impact for us. I can get them what they really want for Christmas. They can have a real Christmas. I would just say thank you so much to everyone who donates. When you give, you will always get in return.”

— Chris Ruvo, Special to The Intelligencer

Bucks County has heart.

In the face of runaway inflation, natural disasters, and the continued public health and economic fallout of COVID-19, Bucks County residents have, on the whole, continued providing ample support to area nonprofits.

While every organization’s experience is different and some have been better supported than others, that’s the general positive word from leaders at a number of area nonprofits. They’re hopeful the trend will continue and accelerate now that the holiday season is in full swing.

Giving Tuesday, an annual global initiative that encourages donating money, time and/or resources to worthy organizations and causes, falls on Tuesday, Nov. 30. It presents an excellent opportunity to jumpstart the altruistic outreach to Bucks County nonprofits in the run up to Christmas.

“I think folks would be surprised to see what a difference every gift makes to us,” said Marissa Christie, president/CEO of United Way of Bucks County. “We have donors who give a little and donors who give a lot. And it all matters. It all helps strengthen our entire community.”

Christie noted that December is a crucial time for nonprofits in their efforts to continue generating the funds necessary to operate their missions.

“Our community support remains very strong, but most nonprofits — including ours — won’t know how 2021 really went until Dec. 31,” she said. “More than 30% of all annual giving happens in December.”

On Giving Tuesday last year, United Way of Bucks County experienced a “big bump” in donations thanks to a weeklong fundraising campaign that included a matching gift from locals Simon and Jane Hallett. Some 276 donors contributed during the campaign in 2020. United Way is orchestrating a similar initiative with the Halletts through Giving Tuesday this year.

“We can’t serve the people we need to serve without donations from our friends and neighbors in Bucks County,” Christie said. “We count on those end-of-year gifts so that we can feed people who are hungry, provide a path home for those experiencing homelessness, ensure that all children enter school ready to learn, and give hard-working families the opportunities they need to thrive, now and in the future.”

Joseph Cuozzo shares similar sentiments.

He’s director of development at Doylestown-based Bucks County Opportunity Council, the lead anti-poverty agency in Bucks County, focusing on combatting poverty and promoting economic self-sufficiency. He said that donations of both money and essentials like food supplies are the marrow of the organization.

Fortunately, Bucks Countians have continued to provide BCOC with robust support. Through Nov. 14, for instance, the council had received more than $1 million in donations thanks to 1,488 gifts —  a 27% increase in the number of donations and 48% increase in the amount relative to the comparable period the year prior.

While Giving Tuesday hasn’t, in the past, been a huge impetus for donations at BCOC, the organization annually administers, in partnership with The Intelligencer, the Give A Christmas initiative during the final months of the year.

Benefitting low-income people in Central and Upper Bucks County, as well as Eastern Montgomery County and the North Penn and Indian Valley, the fund provides people in need with help buying gifts and groceries, as well as paying for rent, medicine, bills and utility expenses.

Money not used during the holiday period is put to good use helping BCOC — and Souderton-based Keystone Opportunity Center, which gets 10% of the proceeds — to assist folks throughout the year. In 2020, local donors powered a record donation amount of more than $261,000, a tally organizers would love to surpass this year.

“If someone wants to make the world a better place, they have to give their time, their talent and/or their treasure,” says Cuozzo. “People in Bucks County have been very generous and respond to people in need. It’s important that continues this holiday season.”

Family Service Association of Bucks County is hoping for the same.

The nonprofit offers a variety of programs and services focused on increasing opportunities for adults, protecting seniors, reducing substance use, improving the lives of people with mental illness and those living with HIV/AIDS, and more.

Reliant on community support to advance its mission, the organization has scored some notable success with fundraising of late. That includes generating about $84,500 from an annual golf outing in October; the total was a record for the event. In April, Family Service Association raised about $377,000 through an annual benefit, held virtually due to COVID, for its Bucks County Emergency Homeless Shelter. The amount was also a record.

“Beyond these events, monetary donor support appears to be on pace with past years, but the year is not over yet and continued support is so important, as donor support and grant funding are our financial lifelines,” said Brian Treanor, Family Service’s grants and communications manager.

The money is used to help locals in desperate need of need a leg up — which is also the goal of the Bucks County Courier Times’ and Bristol-Levittown Kiwanis’ annual Give A Christmas fund.

“The majority of our clients are living well-below the national poverty line,” said Treanor. “In the past year, we provided over 330 people with shelter, 1,200 families with nutrition from our food pantry, over 19,000 individuals with crisis support via our Contact Help Line and Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and over 1,600 folks with counseling for substance use and mental health disorders.”

Treanor noted that Family Service Association of Bucks County holds an annual Giving Tuesday initiative that helps generate revenue. It’s part of broader, ongoing efforts aimed at raising awareness to spur community support.

“We have a very dynamic social media presence, and we host week and monthlong fundraisers throughout the year in support of such causes as Suicide Prevention Week/Month, where we exceeded a month-long established goal in less than two weeks,” Treanor said. “So while we do anticipate donor activity on Giving Tuesday, it is one of many occasions where we ask our donors to step up at various levels and support our mission, which is to listen, care and help.”

Keystone Opportunity Center in Montgomery County runs a like-minded mission, helping community members in need by offering a comprehensive array of social services that educate, encourage and empower them to become self-sufficient.

Malcolm Friend, Keystone’s director of resource development, says that the pandemic has presented new challenges to generating community support for the organization, including having to put certain fundraising events on hold or to operate others virtually. “Donors we once could always rely upon have reached out to Keystone Opportunity Center in need,” Friend said.

That’s a key reason why he’s asking the community to come through again in 2021 to support Give A Christmas in the same powerful manner as in 2020.

Said Friend: “We are ever thankful for the wonderful generosity of community members who recognize that children, adults and seniors are hurting more so this holiday season, and that they can help by supporting Give A Christmas.

— Chris Ruvo, Special to The Intelligencer

A social worker recently visited the home of a single mom and her four kids. Despite the efforts of the mom, who worked full time to keep a roof over their heads, she could barely afford to furnish the place.

She shared a bed with her 3-year-old. Her oldest, a teenager, slept on a bed supported on one end by an air conditioning unit.

The social worker knew this family deserved better. So, she reached out on behalf of this mom to a friend she knew volunteered with the Levittown-Bristol Kiwanis Club. The club in turn, provided new bed frames, mattresses, box springs and beddings for each of the four kids.

It’s an all-too-common story. A mom is doing everything she can, but she doesn’t have enough to pay for the things her family needs, explained Kiwanis member and president-elect Jill Saul.

“She works full time, but she’s the working poor and doesn’t have a lot of money,” said Saul. “When people are struggling and don’t ask for help, and someone is able to help them and lift them, then their lives change. And their outlook on the world changes.”

Often people aren’t sure where to turn for help, explained Mary Berman, a Kiwanis board member and past-president.

“For a lot of these families, we may be the first contact they make because there may be an immediate need, and then after that immediate need is met, it’s necessary for them to get involved with another organization to help them rectify the situation in the long term,” said Berman, emphasizing the large role local social service agencies play in meeting the expanding needs of the community.

Throughout Bucks County, countless children, senior citizens and families were already struggling to make it. For those just getting by, the addition of pandemic- and weather-related problems, brought many to their knees, explained Marissa Christie, president and CEO of the United Way of Bucks County.

“We thought last year was going to be our toughest year, but this year has given us more new challenges than we ever anticipated,” said Christie.

“These are folks who are working sometimes more than one job and still struggling to make ends meet. In general, a financial emergency can really create huge problems for these families.”

It is within this time of increasing need that The Intelligencer, along with the Bucks County Opportunity Council, is running its annual Give A Christmas campaign, which relies on the generosity of the community to directly help families in need in Central and Upper Bucks County, and eastern Montgomery County, during the holidays.

To add to the challenges, a shortage in teachers and daycare workers, has left working parents scrambling to find safe and reliable childcare options, said Christie.

A lack of affordable housing also remains a huge concern, according to Erin Lukoss, executive director of the Bucks County Opportunity Council. Many working parents, for example, struggle to earn enough income to pay rent and still be able to meet other basic needs, such as food and childcare, she noted.

“The people who have the greatest challenge are those who are working and earning a decent wage, but the wage doesn’t support the cost of living here in Bucks County,” said Lukoss.

Food-insecurity and access to mental health and addiction services are additional barriers, local nonprofit organizations, like Family Service Association of Bucks County, have continued working to address.

“The last year has been challenging for everybody in different ways … In the past year, we have seen a dramatic increase in the need for all of our services. In fact, the number of clients our agency serves has grown from 29,503 in 2020 to an anticipated number in excess of 30,000 over the past year,” said Brian Treanor, grants and communications manager with Family Service.

This increase has been significant across all services, explained Treanor, including Family Service’s Contact Help Line, Suicide Prevention Lifeline, emergency homeless shelter, HIV/AIDS program, food pantry, Family strengthening program, behavioral health program, and new ride-along program.

Regardless, these agencies have remained committed, even as the need for help continues to expand.

“Family Service has countless heroes, many of whom have been on the front lines since the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when uncertainty was at its peak. … Our staff, volunteers, community partners, and generous donors have helped us achieve what seemed impossible: for hope and help to continue. For that, we could not be more grateful,” said Julie Dees, CEO of Family Service.

When the problems seem too vast to overcome, Lukoss reflects on the outcomes her staff and volunteers witness with each opportunity to help.

“It is a huge problem, and it could feel unsolvable. But every time we are able to help a family move into their new home and we see the relief and the happiness on their faces, that’s why we keep going because if we give up, we’re giving up on our community. Everybody deserves their shot at happiness. And at the end of the day, that’s all anyone wants, is to have their family together and to meet their needs. And we can’t do it alone, we need the help of the community,” said Lukoss.

This help, from individuals and organizations across the county – no matter how big or small – adds up and makes a real difference, Christie said.

“None of us can do everything, but that doesn’t mean we should do nothing. No matter what kind of contribution you can make, it’s going to impact on someone and it’s going to be comfort to someone and it’s going to make someone feel part of a community. That’s the best we can do for each other is come together as a community and help when and where we can,” said Christie.

And when the community steps up, programs like Give a Christmas, can help restore a little bit of what was lost this past year, so everyone has a chance to experience a little joy this holiday season.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has made Christmas different for most of us, but for some families, it has not only made it different, but difficult,” said Berman. “Even a small donation will help a needy family to survive the impact that COVID-19 has had on their lives. Any donation will help to keep the spirit of giving alive at Christmas.”

— Michele Haddon, Special to The Intelligencer

The Christmas spirit is at the heart of the missions of the Bucks County Opportunity Council and the Keystone Opportunity Center.

For sure, the two nonprofits partner with The Intelligencer on the annual charitable Give A Christmas campaign, but the good they do the local community extends throughout the year.

“We envision communities where all people can achieve economic security and have opportunities to create their future story,” reads a vision statement from the BCOC.

Keystone Opportunity Center’s mission statement sounds similar notes.

The organization aims to help “community members in need by offering a comprehensive array of social services that educate, encourage and empower them to become self-sufficient.”

The Give A Christmas program is one way the organizations help make their missions reality.

The fund delivers financial assistance to individuals and families in need during the holidays.

It benefits low-income people in Central and Upper Bucks County, as well as Eastern Montgomery County and the North Penn and Indian Valley communities. Assistance provided includes everything from help with buying gifts and groceries, to paying for rent, medicine, bills and utility expenses.

Administered by BCOC in partnership with The Intelligencer (with Keystone getting 10% of the proceeds), the fund is powered by donations from local individuals, families, businesses and religious organizations. Notably, money not dispersed during the holidays is used to support locals in need throughout the year with everything from food and rent to employment assistance.

“The need doesn’t end with the holidays,” says Joseph Cuozzo, director of development at BCOC. “Our work runs throughout the year.”

‘We’re here to help’

With roots stretching back to 1965, Doylestown-based BCOC is the lead anti-poverty agency in Bucks County. The organization’s work centers on reducing poverty, combatting its effects, and promoting economic self-sufficiency. For BCOC’s July 2020 to June 2021 fiscal year, the nonprofit served 57,077 people.

BCOC did so through five main program areas — emergency assistance, economic self-sufficiency education, volunteer income tax assistance, food help, and a weatherization program that reduces home energy consumption and provides health and safety and crisis programing.

“We provide public and private donated food to over 60 food pantries and distribution sites, a senior food box program that reaches over 450 seniors, and Fresh Connect, a free farmer’s market in three locations each week throughout the year,” said Tammy Schoonover, chief program officer at BCOC.

Meanwhile, the Economic Self-Sufficiency program works with low-income locals to increase education and employment in order to free the local folks from government subsidies. “For the 2019-20 fiscal year, 14 families graduated from the ES Program,” said Schoonover. “Their average income at entry was $23,305 and their average income at exit was $46,539.”

An independent auditor of the ES program projected that for every dollar spent on ES families, more than $4.60 is saved on government subsidies. Once they have graduated, less than 17% require additional supports. “As parents do better, children thrive and see a new way of living,” said Cuozzo. “The cycle of generational poverty is broken.”

With the emergency services program, BCOC offers supports like one-time rental assistance to prevent homelessness by securing permanent housing, preventing eviction or stabilize housing; utility assistance to reduce bills or prevent utility shut off; transportation assistance that includes auto repair, gas, inspection and occasionally an initial insurance deposit; food assistance to address needs that cannot be met by food pantry partners; and help to secure employment.

In a recent fiscal year, BCOC’s efforts saved 945 people from eviction, permanently housed 306 people, and enabled 230 households to maintain utility services.

“ES has changed lives and the return on investment in the ES program expands with every graduate who is now off all forms of government assistance, earns a livable wage, has health insurance, lives in safe and affordable housing, and now contributes to the community,” said Schoonover.

BCOC isn’t about to rest on its track record of success, though.

The nonprofit just started a new collaborative project with Habitat for Humanity Bucks County, the YWCA and the Bucks County Housing Group named Serving Bucks Together, the SBT Center.

“The Center is designed to provide case management services to the Central Bucks communities of Warminster, Warrington and others,” Cuozzo explains. “BCOC has hired a bilingual coach to help serve the Spanish-speaking population in the area.”

Additionally, BCOC’s food program continues to expand its service delivery. BCOC recently joined in a collaborative project with others like the United Way of Bucks County to provide food for families in need in the Quakertown School District.

“We’re here,” says Cuozzo, “to help.”

Keystone Opportunity Center ‘a Godsend’

Larry was having a hard time of it.

A senior citizen on a fixed income, the U.S. Navy veteran had no money left over each month after paying essential bills and rent, the latter of which just kept going up as the property he lived in changed hands.

Enter the Keystone Opportunity Center.

The Souderton-based nonprofit lent a helping hand in a variety of ways, including assisting Larry with securing safe, quality housing in a community at a third of the cost he had been paying.

“Keystone has been a Godsend,” says Larry. The organization “saved my life.”

Keystone has been manifesting miracles like that for decades.

The nonprofit’s history stretches back to the 1970s, but Keystone proper was founded in the 1990s through the merging of two organizations, according to the nonprofit.

Serving parts of Montgomery County and Upper Bucks County, Keystone provides help to more than 5,000 people every year. Its outreach includes feeding the hungry, housing the homeless and educating adults so they can live self-sufficient lives.

“Our clients are individuals and families facing poverty, hunger and homeless, and are in need of a hand-up through being provided with somewhere they can call home, or nutritional foods to prevent hunger, or a better level of education to give them every opportunity through improved literacy,” says Malcom Friend, Keystone’s director of resource development.

When it comes to fighting homelessness, Keystone’s work centers on everything from rental assistance and eviction diversion, to providing emergency shelter, rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing.

“We provide case management across the board to help our families successfully get back on their feet and maintain safe housing,” the organization notes. “We also own/operate over two dozen affordable housing units.”

Furthermore, Keystone Opportunity Center has a food pantry that serves neighbors across the Souderton Area School District who are dealing with food insecurity. Pantry users qualify for assistance based on their income, and are allowed to visit the pantry once per month to receive a three-day emergency supply, along with donated items from local farms, grocers or individuals.

Of late, Keystone has expanded its educational programming to additional in-person locations across Bucks and Montgomery counties.

Classes include English as a Second Language, High School Equivalency, Citizenship, Adult Basic Education, English for College and Career, individual tutoring, and more. Literacy, the completion of schooling, and citizenship are essentials for leading a self-sufficient life, the organization maintains.

Demand for Keystone’s services is growing, making Give A Christmas donations all the more important, said Friend.

“During these uncertain times, as we all navigate the daily challenges created by the pandemic, the clients Keystone serves are likely to be some of the last to bounce-back,” Friend said.

“Broad financial safety nets are no longer available, and the requests for financial assistance from Keystone will soon exceed the resources we have available. So, thank you for stepping in and stepping up to help through the Give A Christmas campaign. It is good to know that you continue to be there year-on-year with your generosity.”

— Chris Ruvo, Special to The Intelligencer

It’s time to break another record.

Last year, the local community stepped up like never before, donating more than $261,000 to The Intelligencer’s Give A Christmas campaign.

The outpouring of altruism couldn’t have been more timely, as people throughout Bucks and eastern Montgomery counties reeled amid the economic and health hardships wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, as the autumn deepens and the holidays near, it’s essential for area residents, businesses and places of worship to come through again with robust donations to Give A Christmas.

Need remains elevated in a year fraught with local natural disasters and continued COVID-related hardships that have heaped more pressure on the community’s most vulnerable families and individuals, said Joseph Cuozzo.

“Give A Christmas is a great way for people to support the needs of local families,” said Cuozzo, director of development at the Bucks County Opportunity Council, which administers Give A Christmas in partnership with The Intelligencer.

Cuozzo continued: “A donor will know that their contribution will impact someone in the area who needs help. People and businesses have been very generous throughout the last two years and we hope that they will continue to feel fortunate enough to share with others.”

Give A Christmas launched in 1988. It’s raised nearly $3 million over the years. The BCOC, which serves locals in need through a spectrum of services, shares 10% of the proceeds with the similarly missioned Keystone Opportunity Center, a Souderton-based nonprofit.

The fund delivers financial assistance to individuals and families in need during the holidays.

“The sheer volume of horrific news events recently comes on top of everyday needs, even in times less chaotic that we are in now,” said The Intelligencer Executive Editor Shane Fitzgerald. “Even in the best of times, many people through no fault of their own come across hardship. It’s heartening to live in a community that traditionally generously lends a helping hand, whatever the circumstances.”

Benefiting low-income people in Central and Upper Bucks County, as well as Eastern Montgomery County and the North Penn and Indian Valley communities, the fund provides a variety of assistance. That includes everything from help with buying gifts and groceries, to paying for rent, medicine, bills and utility expenses.

Notably, money not dispersed during the holidays is used to support locals in need throughout the year with everything from food and rent to employment assistance. And in 2021, need for aid is again high.

“The recent natural disasters we’ve experienced locally with floods and tornados contributed to people reaching out for help,” said Tammy Schoonover, chief program officer at BCOC.

For instance, when the remnants of Hurricane Ida blew through, inundating Bucks and Montgomery counties with rain and triggering flooding, a local family’s home was rendered uninhabitable by the overpowering waters.

They were in desperate need of help. BCOC stepped in to provide it.

First, the council helped the working family apply for rental assistance and find temporary lodging near the children’s school and father’s job. Then the nonprofit aided with school supplies and gift cards for purchasing essentials. It also helped the family find a permanent new home.

“We’ll be assisting them with Christmas too through the Give A Christmas program,” Schoonover noted.

In 2021, Give A Christmas has a fundraising goal of $165,000, though organizers would be happy to surpass the baseline objective and overtake 2020’s record-breaking tally.

The influx of money last year empowered BCOC to help families that had an average annual income of just $17,597. With its portion of the funds, Keystone Opportunity Center helped nearly 700 people in difficult circumstances in 2020.

This year, BCOC is increasing the dollar amount of the gift cards it will provide to $100 for families with no children and $200 for families with children. It’s a result of the runaway inflation being experienced throughout the United States.

“The cost of everything,” said Schoonover, “has gone up.”

And that’s just another reason to give to Give A Christmas in 2021, if you have the means, said Cuozzo.

“Your donation may help one of your child’s friends or a family you go to church with or someone who is working but can’t make ends meet,” Cuozzo said. “Often, the families we serve are living paycheck to paycheck and don’t have any extra money for the holidays for their kids. It may be even harder for many now because of the prices of items going up. Give A Christmas donations make the holidays for these families a little brighter.”

— Chris Ruvo, Special to The Intelligencer