Residents asked to send donations to help those affected by circumstances out of their control
Trying to explain the purpose of the Princeton Holiday Fund is not easy in a community as affluent as Princeton.
But there are families and individuals in town who struggle to make their earnings stretch to cover their daily needs.
Most of the people have jobs, but the jobs pay only a basic wage. There is no money to buy the little extras that most enjoy or to put money away in a savings account for a rainy day. Every penny earned is spent on housing, food, transportation for work, child care and clothing. When heating bills increase, when a child needs a medication not covered by charity care, or when the number of working hours is suddenly decreased, the family suffers.
Here are two examples. The names have been changed to ensure confidentiality;
Marcel works hard to support his wife and teenage daughter, Jeanine, but his work is seasonal.
He wants his daughter to get the most education possible, but is finding it difficult to stretch his summer earnings to cover his household expenses all year round, and to save for her college education. His wife and daughter both contribute to the family’s income, but even with their help, resources are limited.
Imagine how thrilled Marcel was when Jeanine was accepted to Rider University. With scholarships and a work-study plan, Jeanine was able to pay for her tuition and most of her textbooks. Marcel had heard that the Princeton Holiday Fund might help with the expense for the rest of the books. The counselor was happy to help. Encouragement to attain more education and a few hundred dollars for books is a wonderful way to help Jeanine become self-sufficient.
Lily has lived in Princeton all her life.
Her mother was on welfare, so Lily thought that was the way life was. She has three children whom she has raised by herself. She has suffered from bouts of depression and turned to alcohol to feel better. Four years ago, Lily got a shock when she was told by the high school social worker that her son was suspended from school for drinking in class.
She got help for herself and her son, and she started looking for work. Lily had been to the Princeton Holiday Fund volunteer counselor several times over the years for help with rent, school clothes for her children and food. Now she came asking for help finding a training program. First the counselor directed her to a high school equivalency GED class and paid for it. Next she found a computer training program and helped Lily get a scholarship. Then she helped Lily with suitable work clothes and enough bus fare for her first week of work.
Now Lily is working in a data entry job. She loves having a job and she is very proud of earning her own money. At Thanksgiving she asked for some help with food since she was preparing the family’s turkey dinner.
Lily earns less than $16,000 a year and although her children are grown, she is caring for one of her three grandchildren. She feels good about herself, she is proud of her family, and neither she and nor her son are abusing alcohol.
Charles Dickens often wrote about people living in poverty. The Ghost of Christmas Present in reprimanding Ebenezer Scrooge about his responsibility to help those in need, said, "This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both … but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing is erased."
He is an opportunity to help erase ignorance and want in the Princeton community. Some of the people requesting financial assistance through the Princeton Holiday Fund need help for an emergency, some are looking for ways to improve their job skills and level of education, others benefit from the supportive counseling and referrals to community or county resources. The Holiday Fund is often a starting point for families who don’t know where to turn for help.
To be a part of the solution, please support the Princeton Holiday Fund at this festive time of the year.
To contribute, send a donation to Princeton Holiday Fund, c/o Family and Children’s Services, 120 John St., Suite 6, Princeton NJ 08542. All contributions are tax-deductible.
For more information about Family and Children’s Services, visit www.nj-counseling.org or contact Mary Pickens at (609) 924-2098.

