Mercury publisher Tom Abbott invited me to join him last week at a joint meeting of the Pottstown Kiwanis and Rotary clubs to give a presentation on Operation Holiday, our program to help needy children.
Tom told me he remembered a line from a college marketing professor who said clubs and civic organizations are often the driving force in a community, the glue that holds a town together and gets things done. He said he was reminded of that theory in practice when he came to Pottstown.
I occasionally get asked to speak to service groups, most recently the Mahanatawny chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, but I am not a regular on the clubs scene. I like to remind people that I started my career at The Mercury writing gown descriptions of women who planned and attended the society balls and auxiliary dances back in the day. I am well aware that there are many organizations in our town focusing on fund-raising and community causes as the order of business.
The Kiwanis and Rotary groups greeted us warmly and listened attentively while we described the workings of Operation Holiday. I was here in 1991 when former publisher Barry Hopwood brought this program to Pottstown, and I recounted the history of the first year's lessons and how the program has evolved over the years.
I explained our commitment at The Mercury to keeping the program for children and our efforts to serve families who have fallen on hard times because of loss of a job, illness or trying circumstances.
We described the effort that goes into the project from The Mercury employees. Many newspapers raise money for holiday efforts that help people in their communities, but they are more often programs where the money raised is then handed off to the Salvation Army or a separate organization to give out. Operation Holiday is different. Employees of the newspaper in partnership with local service agencies find families in need, keep track of the donations, order the food from a local market, pack the boxes, buy the gift certificates, and distribute them with the help of the agencies who refer families.
We even buy and assemble the cardboard boxes that hold the food.
The program's success hinges on managers keeping accurate and careful records of lists of both those who give and those who receive. Our bookkeeping is handled by our business office in a separate Operation Holiday Foundation nonprofit account. Staff writers contact, interview and write the compelling stories of need from people on the lists. And, our readers give generously, telling us time and again that their reward in giving is as great as the joy we see in the eyes of those who receive.
When I was finished telling this story, an amazing thing happened.
First, the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs each presented us with checks for $250 each to kick off the fundraising for this year. Then, individuals from the group approached us, pressing personal checks, cash and warm wishes upon us. By the end of the evening, we had $1,270 to start this year's fundraising.
The generous gifts were offered with a genuine appreciation for this program, now in its 18th year, and I left humbled with the honor of being a part of it. These two civic groups reminded me of the power of community giving.
As we begin this year's Operation Holiday campaign to provide food to 151 families of the Pottstown area and gifts to 414 children, the donations of the Pottstown Kiwanis and Rotary clubs provided us with a good head start.
We thank you.