Published January 2, 2020

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

NORTH READING — As we head into the new year and a new decade, the Transcript’s 30th annual Neighbor Helping Neighbor Fund (NHNF) campaign is coming to a close so be sure to mail your donations this week.

As announced last week, we are extending acceptance of donations until “Little Christmas,” which is Monday, January 6, because the promotional period was compressed to just the 3 1/2 weeks between a late Thanksgiving holiday and a mid-week Christmas holiday. Also known as “The Feast of the Epiphany,” January 6 is the twelfth day of Christmas and marks the arrival of the wise men, or Magi, who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus.

All gifts to the NHNF remain in North Reading to benefit local families through the year-round efforts of Christian Community Service (CCS), which operates the town’s Food Pantry and provides other essential, temporary aid for basic necessities to those falling on hard times.

THE THREE MAGI, with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, were seen passing through this yard on Spruce Road. Their anticipated arrival on January 6, traditionally regarded as “Little Christmas,” will be the last day donations to the Transcript’s 30th annual Neighbor Helping Neighbor Fund will be accepted. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

CCS is an all-volunteer ecumenical non-profit organization made up of representatives of the town’s churches and provides assistance without regard to religious affiliation, if any.

Over 100 families and individuals in town depend upon regular visits to the Food Pantry to make ends meet. New clients come to the pantry on a regular basis. For example, just two days before Christmas, two new families were welcomed to the pantry, CCS Chairman Ellen Wiklanski told the Transcript.

Often, families turn to the Food Pantry for assistance due to unexpected medical expenses. This is the case for one new client who has a child who has been in and out of the hospital as well as a 6-year-old “for whom the mom asked for gifts (during) her first visit to the pantry. We were able to give her a gift card to Target. Believe me when I tell you she was very grateful,” Wiklanski said. It was a small gesture but one that helped a struggling family share a little bit of the magic of the season together thanks to the generosity of the townspeople who support CCS and the NHNF.

This past week an additional $1,003 was added to the fund, bringing the new total to $23,287.

Year after year, thanks to the generosity of the Transcript’s readers, the Neighbor Helping Neighbor Fund has provided CCS with its most significant source of direct aid because of the trust long established between CCS and the Transcript due to the careful stewardship of the organization. Not one penny donated to this group has ever gone toward a salary — be it through the NHNF or any other drive in the community that benefits CCS or the Food Pantry — because it truly functions as a 100 percent all-volunteer entity. This is a rarity, even among nonprofits.

How to donate to the NHNF

As a 501(c)(3) organization, all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. CCS automatically provides receipts to those who donate $250 or more. Tax receipts for donations of any amount will be provided by CCS upon request by the donor, who must provide a name and address for the receipt to be mailed back to them.

The Transcript will acknowledge all donations in the newspaper. If you wish to remain anonymous or dedicate your donation to a loved one, please include a note.

Please make checks payable to “Christian Community Service” or “CCS,” not to the newspaper. Checks may be mailed to the Transcript at P.O. Box 7, North Reading, MA 01864.

Those who wish to drop off their donations in person may do so at the North Reading branch of the Reading Cooperative Bank, 170 Park St. (next to Ryer’s Store). Please specify to the bank teller your intention to donate to the Transcript’s Neighbor Helping Neighbor Fund to ensure it is recorded on the tally sheet which the bank will forward to us for acknowledgement in the newspaper.

Transcript 2019 NHNF Week 5 donor list:

• “A Christmas Breather” neighborhood party proceeds—$453

• Kathleen and John Tobin— $200

• In memory of Pa, Nana, Grammy and Papa— $100

• William and Sheila Berry— $100

• George and Carolyn Stack— $100

• Anonymous— $50

2019 NHNF – Week 5

Subtotal:……………………..$1,003

Previous total:…………..$22,284

New total: …………………$23,287