I am grateful to have a roof over our heads. My SSI doesn’t go very far. I would like to give my son a nice dinner and maybe a gift for Christmas. He is what I live for.
That excerpt from a letter sent by a Northeast woman to our Eleanor Smylie Community Fund typifies the difficult times many people are enduring these days. Barely four weeks remain until the celebration of Christmas, and people throughout the Northeast and elsewhere are hurrying here and there, taking care of those final details to put a smile on the faces of loved ones. But there are many folks among us who — because of tough circumstances beyond their control — aren’t sure of their capability to do that in their homes.
For 56 years now, providing that help has become the mission of the Eleanor Smylie Community Fund. The holiday campaign was conceived by the former longtime owner of the Northeast Times to reach out to help our friends and neighbors in need.
So readers, please, if you can help, send contributions to the Northeast Times Eleanor Smylie Community Fund, 2512 Metropolitan Drive, Trevose, PA 19053. Letters seeking help also can be sent to the same address.
But we do require some information. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please write us a short letter explaining why help is needed. Include your name, address and telephone number.
Also, we require that people asking for help provide the name and phone number of a person or agency so that we may verify a recipient’s situation.
We would like to thank these latest contributors to our holiday fund:
• Anonymous: $10
• Anonymous: $25
• Anonymous: $1,000
• Mary Lou Begley: $10
• Jeffrey George: $25
• Jacquelin Ryan: $10
• Tecla Simon: $15
• Trustees Mystic Lodge #270: $150
• In memory of Catherine Sullivan and Joseph Daiutolo: $50
• In memory of William Hill: $100
Total Week 3: $1,395
Total forward: $758
Grand total 2011: $2,153
