by Sam Loth, Fund Drive Committee Member

Greetings! Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all. During these last days of the holiday rush let us take a moment to remember what this time of the year is all about. It truly is better to give than to receive, and each of us has learned that truth by giving to others whether it is to family or friends.

By giving to others, we enrich ourselves more than we can imagine no matter what our religious affiliation is. So, in that spirit, I’d like to tell you all what the Chestnut Hill Community Fund sets out to accomplish with your gifts each year.

The CHCF has four main categories of grant giving: (1) Human services, (2) Cultural enrichment, (3) Education and (4) Physical beautification. Each of the organizations that receive funding from the CHCF fall into one or more of these goal-oriented categories. Here are some examples:

Human services

• Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels delivers 16,000+ hot meals to inbound neighbors in Northwest Philadelphia each year.

• Teenagers Inc. helps its 500 members in their personal development and gives them opportunities to help others like homeless families and other children at risk.

Cultural Enrichment

• The Crossing, a community-supported vocal ensemble, performs for local audiences at St. Paul’s and the Presbyterian churches and has issued recordings worldwide.

• The Chestnut Hill Book Festival this year featured more than 50 locally and nationally recognized authors and hosted more than 25 free events, including panel discussions, author readings, writer’s workshops and a special appearance by Kathy O’Connell of WXPN’s Kids Corner.

Education

• The Friends of J.S. Jenks and Friends of Children’s Park have created venues for the community by maintaining and improving both the outdoor play area and the indoor auditorium at Chestnut Hill’s local public school. Thousands of children benefit.

• The Allens Lane Art Center annually produces 40 live performances of local plays, schedules year-round art and dance classes, operates a professional gallery and exhibition space, and runs a summer art camp for local kids.

Physical Beautification

• The Chestnut Hill Garden District designation recognizes our neighborhood for its beautiful parks and gardens, its proximity to Fairmount Park’s Wissahickon Valley and the crown jewel, Morris Arboretum. Chestnut Hill was designated one of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations in 2010 and was named as one of the Ten Best Neighborhoods in the USA in 2012.

• Friends of the Wissahickon, in cooperation with the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department, helps maintain the quality of all 1,800 acres and 57 miles of trails in Wissahickon Park while maintaining a host of activities, including biking, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, jogging and more.

The Chestnut Hill Community Fund asks for your gift in order to continue supporting these and many other excellent nonprofit organizations that help maintain our quality of life here in Chestnut Hill and beyond. Please open your hearts and give to the CHCF by mail or in person at 8434 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia 19118, or go online to www.chestnuthill.org, or call Noreen at 215-248-8810.

Contact Sam Loth at samloth@comcast.net.