The Doylestown-based Bucks County Opportunity Council is seeking community contributions for its 25th annual back-to-school initiative, writes Ed Doyle for TAPinto Doylestown.

The Council, the lead anti-poverty agency in the county, runs an Economic Self-Sufficiency Program that helps low-income families become financially independent. The initiative gives clients a structured plan, including coaching and mentoring, to help families move out of poverty permanently.

“These families are working hard to break the chains of poverty,” said Danielle Bush, the Council’s Volunteer and Community Connections Manager. “They’re working hard to go to school. They’re working hard to get an education, to get a family-sustaining job and to no longer rely on government subsidies.”

For these families, the back-to-school season can be an especially difficult time due to added expenses. The back-to-school program helps them stay on track financially. It simultaneously prepares students for a successful school year by distributing gift cards donated by community members. The benefit of gift cards is that they allow families to do the shopping on their own.

The organization aims to collect at least $100 in gift cards for each of the approximately 160 children whose families are clients. Donations can be dropped off at the organization’s offices in Bristol, Doylestown, Quakertown and Warminster.

Read more about the Bucks County Opportunity Council’s back‑to‑school initiative and how you can help make a difference in TAPinto Doylestown.

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