Author: cveltri

One of the points of pride we have as a newspaper is that we exist to serve our local 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 Sunday, Nov. 18. 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 31 years ago. Last year, our generous readers surpassed the $10 million mark in total funds raised, including more than $300,000 last year.

The newspapers changed ownership to GateHouse Media last year, but the commitment to this program has not changed. All proceeds go back into the distribution funds and any overhead costs are absorbed by The Intelligencer, the Courier Times and the Burlington County Times and their charitable partners.

The Intelligencer partners with the Bucks County Opportunity Council to collect and distribute monetary donations. The average family receiving help has an annual income of around $14,000. Intelligencer readers, since 1988, have supported the Give A Christmas fund with heart-felt generosity, but expenses have been greater than income for the past few years. 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 $140,000 to help those in need.

Bucks and Montgomery county residents with children age 17 and younger are eligible to be considered 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 Easter 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 Community section.

Last year, thousands 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.

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 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 our Give A Christmas fund. Every little bit helps — we’ve received everything from $1 to thousands of dollars in donations 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 Intelligencer, Bucks County Courier-Times, and the Burlington County (N.J.) Times. Email: sfitzgerald@theintell.com. Twitter: @sfitzg5.

In the one bedroom apartment in Upper Bucks County, the single mother sits looking at the small Christmas tree tucked in the corner of the cramped living room.

Her two children sleep in the bedroom, but her bed is the couch out here. Still, she can’t sleep. She keeps looking at the tree. To keep the lights on it lit, she needs to pay the electric bill. But if she does, there’ll be nothing left for Christmas — not after doctor bills from the kids’ recent bout of bronchitis wiped out what little she’d saved from her minimum-wage retail job.

She knows her children expect Santa to leave a couple presents beneath the tree — that they’ll be crushed if they find only a few scraps of fallen tinsel. How, she wonders, stomach steel-clenched, can she provide her kids with a Christmas?

An answer is with the help of The Intelligencer’s annual Give A Christmas Fund.

Administered by the Bucks County Opportunity Council, with 10 percent of the proceeds shared with the Keystone Opportunity Center, the fund provides financial assistance to individuals and families in need during the holidays.

Benefitting needy locals 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 rent, medicine bills and utility expenses.

“Our Give A Christmas goal is to brighten the holidays of families in need,” said Joseph Cuozzo, director of development at the Bucks County Opportunity Council.

Of course, that can only happen if the local community is generous with donations. Indeed, it is donations from individuals, businesses and families that provide the financial fuel for the fund. Over the years, the community has stepped up in a major way, contributing $2.9 million since Give A Christmas began in 1988.

“Give A Christmas is near and dear to my heart,” said Shane Fitzgerald, executive editor for The Intelligencer. “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.”

Last year alone, that outpouring of generosity generated $139,439.46. The tally empowered the Opportunity Council to provide assistance to 472 families (1,465 individuals). Average assistance per family was $187. Of the families served, average household income amounted to $16,211.

“It’s difficult to express how proud I am of the employees and community partners who come together each year to make Give A Christmas a success,” said Jake Volcsko, general manager of The Intelligencer. “There is a lot of work and detail that goes into making the program run smoothly. More importantly though are the hundreds of community members who make donations each year. It’s awe-inspiring to be part of a community that continues to support this effort.”

This year, The Intelligencer aims to raise $140,000. Organizers noted that, after the program satisfies eligible requests for assistance during the holidays, the remaining fund balance could be used to provide similar types of assistance to eligible locals in need throughout the year.

But with the holidays here in earnest, now is the time to seize the seasonal spirit and give generously, Cuozzo said.

“The ability to provide financial assistance during the holidays is simply priceless,” he said.