By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING —The North Reading Transcript’s 34th annual Neighbor Helping Neighbor Fund (NHNF) Christmas appeal comes to a close this week after having raised nearly $28,000.
It is truly heartening that for more than three decades our generous readers always come through and continue to support the North Reading-based nonprofit organization, Christian Community Service (CCS).
This is a truly deserving cause as these volunteers run the North Reading Food Pantry year-round through the best and the worst of times while continuing to add to the services that they provide to families and individuals, be it holiday meals, school clothes, warm winter clothes, Christmas and birthday gifts and even assistance with utilities or a car repair to make sure they can get to work and medical appointments. Theirs is a true calling and they always find a way to make the burdens of the town’s residents who are having financial difficulties a whole lot lighter, with dignity, respect and confidentiality.
CCS volunteers enlist the support of virtually every organization, team, club, school, church, youth group and ordinary townspeople to help their neighbors in need. And no one has ever drawn a salary which keeps their expenses and overhead exceedingly low. All services provided by CCS are offered on the basis of financial need, not religious affiliation, in any. CCS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
During this past week, donations totaling $1,585 were received, including $300 in memory of Al and Frances Sylvia, the late founders of the North Reading Transcript who established the newspaper’s Neighbor Helping Neighbor Fund during the Persian Gulf War when a former CCS member, Annie Didsbury, made a simple request: During the Christmas season, would the newspaper assist CCS in spreading the word about the great need at that time to collect donations to assist struggling residents who couldn’t afford to buy home heating oil? Of course he said yes and the rest is history.
An additional $300 was given in memory of Ernie Brandano while donations of $100 each were given in memory of the late Jessica Graham and the late Ralph Douglas. The 2023 NHNF officially closes after having raised $27,900.
We’ve noticed a delay in mail delivery this Christmas season so if you have mailed a donation to us that you have not seen acknowledged in print to date please reach out to us and we will gladly acknowledge it in a future edition even though the fund is officially closed until the 2024 Christmas season. We can be reached by phone at 781-245-0080 or email at NorthReadingNews@WakefieldItem.com.
We also would like to thank the staff of the North Reading branch of the Reading Cooperative Bank for volunteering once again to accept in-person donations to the NHNF on behalf of the newspaper and keeping track of those tally sheets.
Transcript 2023 NHNF donor list
- In memory of Al & Frances Sylvia–$300
- In memory of Ernie Brandano–$300
- From Don & Doris Henchey–$200
- Anonymous–$200
- In memory of the lovely Jessica Graham from Andy & Tracy Graham–$100
- In memory of Ralph Douglas–$100
- From Robert Snyder–$100
- From Nancy Fenton–$100
- From A Mini Christmas Breather–$100
- From Richard Ham–$75
- From Jane Hudgins–$10
WEEK 6 Subtotal: $1,585
PRIOR TOTAL: $26,315
NEW TOTAL: $27,900