Christmas Sharing Fund

CLIFTON  Thanksgiving Day is a day full of traditions — a huge feast, watching the parade or football, pardoning a turkey and spending time with family. For the Beacon, Thanksgiving marks a 36-year-old tradition — the official kick-off of its Christmas Sharing Fund. This annual collection held throughout the Advent and Christmas season gives Beacon readers the opportunity to help clients served by Diocesan Catholic Charities make their holidays brighter often times during a most difficult period in their lives.

The Christmas Sharing Fund has opened the hearts of our readers to the hardships of so many through different case stories. Through the years, the cases have affected many from all walks of life — small children, widows, veterans, immigrants, the disabled and those in recovery from addictions. These clients are our neighbors and to Jesus, our brothers and sisters.

The Beacon will continue to feature screened client cases sent to us by Catholic Charities. Often, readers will find that these Christmas wishes aren’t for extra material things but daily necessities just to get by, such as for help with the electric bill and warm clothes for the upcoming winter or something special to make Christmas memorable such as a hearty holiday meal and small gifts for the family.

For more than three and a half decades, more than $708,000 in Christmas Sharing Fund gifts have come in from individual readers, parishes and community organizations, and businesses from all over the Diocese’s three counties of Morris, Passaic and Sussex. Last year, Beacon readers donated a total of $22,982.

Along with the Catholic Charities cases describing a person’s or family’s situation and their Christmas wishes, updated lists of contributors and their contributions will also be published. A contributor’s request for anonymity will be honored.

To donate to the Christmas Sharing Fund, use the coupon found below. Checks should be made to “Catholic Charities” and in the memo: “Christmas Sharing Fund.” This is a change from previous years to ensure processing. Know that 100 percent of contributions are given directly to Catholic Charities because The Beacon staff handles all of the bookkeeping and clerical costs of the program. This includes mailing thank-you letters to contributors.

The Beacon lacks storage space or pick-up and delivery services for new items readers may want to donate. It is suggested they call diocesan Catholic Charities directly at (973) 279-7100 if they wish to give such items.