Joseph Cuozzo, director of development at BCOC, noted that the organization will continue to accept more donations for Give A Christmas throughout the year. The campaign typically sees most donations between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the giving often wrapping up by Martin Luther King Day.
“This year, during a pandemic, we saw such extreme generosity and concern for the community members of Bucks County who were struggling to make ends meet,” Cuozzo said. “The Give A Christmas donors showed Bucks County what true community is, taking care of one another in times of distress and hardship. We cannot thank the donors enough for their kindness. They truly made an impact on the lives of many.”
The Bucks County Courier Times and the Levittown-Bristol Kiwanis Club have partnered for 63 years to promote and collect donations for the Give A Christmas campaign. Donations poured in from residents in Bucks County and beyond for about two months, contributing to the effort to bring a little holiday joy to needy families in Lower Bucks.
This year’s goal of $120,000 in donations was met about a week-and-a-half before Christmas, one of the earliest years to reach the target. As of Wednesday morning, the fund has collected more than $164,000. I m overwhelmed with the support of all of our readers, Executive Editor Shane Fitzgerald said. The Bucks and Montgomery county communities really stepped up when they were most needed. Our eternal thanks to the Bucks County Opportunity Council and the Levittown-Bristol Kiwanis Club for their tireless efforts in our partnership and facilitating helping so many people.
Give A Christmas enters home stretch as donations exceed goal
Chris Ruvo
2020 has been a difficult year for most everyone, but some have experienced particular pain and hardship.
Like the Bucks County mother whose son was afflicted by multiple seizures in January. It took visits to multiple hospitals to determine he had a brain tumor. What followed was perilous surgery and follow-up therapy, conducted at health facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic, that caused the mother to miss work. That job, with its time demands, ultimately became untenable, given her need to care for her son and her other children.
The hard-working woman ultimately found another position, but the hours and pay both were less. The diminished earnings, along with the onus of medical bills and paying for life’s essentials such as food and shelter, had the household budget running on fumes.
Bucks County stepping up for Give A Christmas
James Boyle
Thanksgiving 2020 was supposed to be like every other year for the Bucks County Roadrunners.
The local running group had just come off the 30th anniversary of its Customers Bank Thanksgiving Five Miler, attracting the most racers ever and raising more than $15,000 for three local charities.
This year was promising to be even bigger, but the COVID-19 pandemic happened and the race was canceled.
“We had a lot of meetings during the pandemic,” said Bill Schaffling, president of the BCRR. “We tried to think of any way we could have the race, but it was just not possible because of the physical location. We would not be able to keep everyone separated.”
Give A Christmas enters home stretch; time to donate is now
Chris Ruvo
Now is the time to make a difference.
With less than two weeks to go to Christmas, The Intelligencer’s Give A Christmas campaign is entering the home stretch. The charitable campaign remains short of the $140,000 seasonal goal, but generous individuals, families, businesses and other organizations can change that by stepping up to donate now.
“We’re ahead of last year’s pace, but we still have a ways to go and we’re encouraging anyone who can to contribute now,” said Joseph Cuozzo, director of development at the Doylestownhead-quartered Bucks County Opportunity Council (BCOC), which administers Give A Christmas in partnership with The Intelligencer.