Articles and press releases

Holiday fund reaches $72,000
December 14, 2011
Thanks to you, the contributions for The Intelligencer's Give A Christmas campaign continue to come in, ensuring that help is on the way for neighbors in need.

The program raises money for those who need a hand in central and upper Bucks County and parts of eastern Montgomery County through the donations of our readers...

Giving back through Give A Christmas
November 27, 2011
Vivian Crossman knows how deflating it can be to struggle to put gifts under the Christmas tree.

“I’ve been there,” she said. “I’ve struggled to provide for my children.”

There was a time, not so long ago, when Crossman needed help...

Poverty on the rise in Bucks, Montco
November 20, 2011
Bucks County saw Greater Philadelphia’s highest percentage-point increase in the number of people living in poverty last year, thanks to high unemployment, scarce jobs and the rising cost of just about everything.

As a result, social service agencies that deal with those in need say they’ve been overwhelmed by the demand and underwhelmed by the support they’re receiving from government funding and donations...

Give A Christmas drive kicks off
November 13, 2011
If anyone needed proof of just how devastating this economy has been for people, then the Bucks County Opportunity Council could provide it.

Employees there recently spent five hours meeting to discuss their caseload and how best to aid struggling families.

While away from their desks, the office received 87 phone calls from people looking for help...

Opportunity Council celebrates 11 graduates
November 2011
"When I first came to them, they asked what they could do to help me. What did I need to succeed? Now I can say, 'what can I do to help you?'" - Vivian Crossman, recipient of the 2011 Community Service Award.

Program helps jobless get back on their feet
October 9, 2011
When Donna Staffieri lost her job two years ago, she didn’t worry too much.

Then 58, she had never been without a job for her entire adult life. She had savings to supplement what little she was getting from unemployment. She didn’t think she’d be without a job for long...

Comcast Newsmakers - September 13, 2011
Bruce Iacobucci, Event Co-Chair, discusses the Bucks County Opportunity Council's Economic Self-Sufficiency Graduation on October 12, 2011 at Spring Mill Manor in Ivyland, PA. Mr. Iacobucci is the President and CEO of First Federal of Bucks County, which is the major sponsor of the Economic Self-Sufficiency Graduation.

Bucks County Bar Association Donates Back to School Supplies
August 2011
Members of the Bucks County Bar Association Young Lawyers' Division donated 832 school supplies and gift cards to the Bucks County Opportunity Council to help local children from low-income households return to school with the tools needed to succeed in the classroom.

Toll Brothers Donates Back to School Supplies
August 2011
Employees of Toll Brothers in Horsham donated 450 school supplies and gift cards to the Bucks County Opportunity Council to help local children from low-income households return to school with the tools needed to succeed in the classroom...

Walker Wellness and Chiropractic "Gift of Health" Benefits Opportunity Council
July 2011
Walker Wellness and Chiropractic raised $1,130 for the Bucks County Opportunity
Council's Economic Self-Sufficiency Program. They provided new patients with a complimentary consultation, exam and report of findings in exchange for a $25 donation...

Bucks County Bar Association Helps Clients Dress for Success
July 2011
Members of the Bucks County Bar Association Women Lawyers' Division donated 218 articles of lightly used clothing to the Bucks County Opportunity Council to help participants in the Economic Self-Sufficiency Program and other job-seeking clients "dress for success"...

Wegmans donation
The Intelligencer, April 18, 2011
Wegmans of Warrington Township delivers an 18-wheeler full of food for donation to the Bucks County Opportunity Council, which distributes food to 28 local pantries, at a warehouse on the campus of the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology in Warwick Township on Monday morning...

Weatherization Assistance Program to host Information Session
April 5, 2011
The Bucks County Opportunity Council’s Home Energy Conservation Department will host an information session in Warrington, PA on June 15, 2011 for qualified Weatherization, HVAC and chimney contractors interested in working on projects in Bucks County...

Wegmans steps up to help hungry
March 30, 2011
The Warrington supermarket will deliver an 18-wheeler full of food next month for Bucks County Opportunity Council's food pantries.

Wegmans of Warrington has stepped up to help local food pantries by donating a tractor-trailer full of food to the Bucks County Opportunity Council...

Scholarship fund benefit feeds body and soul
March 17, 2011
Joan Connors owned a staffing company for 20 years before life took many turns for the worse...

Weatherization can save money for Bucks families
March 17, 2011
Eileen Albillar of the Bucks County Opportunity Council (BCOC) has reached out to low-income families to help them tackle their high heating costs through a free weatherization program...

Residents can get home weatherization help
March 1, 2011
The Bucks County Opportunity Council said stimulus funding will soon run out so now is the time for low-income residents to apply for the aid.

Low-income residents looking to save a few bucks on heating costs are being encouraged to sign up for a free home weatherization program.

But act fast. Federal stimulus, helping to fund the program, is set to expire next year...

Transitional Life Skills Program Puts Special Education Students in Business
March 2011
Every now and again you discover a truly exceptional group of people in your hometown area that somehow has remained virtually unnoticed by most in the community...

Making A Difference, Bucks County Women's Journal, p. 14
August/September 2010
For Lischa Argue and Elaine Keckeissen, life had become confusing and nearly impossible to navigate alone, when they reached out and took the helping hand offered by the Bucks County Opportunity Council...

A Declaration of Independence, dtown
September 2010
In the hectic pace of everyday life, we tend to take much for granted. Most of us don’t have to worry about where our next meal is coming from or keeping a roof over our heads. But for those in need, these can be daily struggles...

Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce W4 Magazine, p. 18
July/August 2010
Success emerges in many different forms. Part of the CBCC’s mission is to uphold and unite businesses and part is to applaud when success reaches out to an individual...