I need to clarify the wording on a letter I mailed last week asking for donations to The Tablet’s Bright Christmas Appeal. In it, I wrote, “Last year, you responded by sending me more than $100,000, which went directly to help someone in need.”
Since it began arriving in readers’ homes, we’ve been receiving calls from people letting us know that they did not donate “more than $100,000.”  They sent in $10, or $25, etc.
I’m sorry about the confusion of the language.  I was not thanking each and every one of you for a $100,000 donation, but I was referring to “you” collectively, all the readers of The Tablet, for donating a total of more than $100,000.
So, please don’t fret, we have not notified the IRS about anyone giving us $100,000.
Whether it was the poor choice of words or the late mailing, the response to our Bright Christmas Appeal has been particularly slow this year.  So, a word to the wise!  Do not wait for the Bright Christmas Appeal letter.  You can participate by filling out the form on Page 22 of this week’s issue and mailing it into The Tablet’s new address at 1712 Tenth Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215.
Requests from parishes and other diocesan agencies have been coming in at a steady pace.  If I don’t have the contributions, I can’t get the funds to them in time for Christmas.
Father Pat West, pastor of Our Lady of Solace, Coney Island, writes that, “We give gifts to all of the children in our religious education program. This year we have about 340 children attending regularly.  The gifts are distributed at a party on the last day and we throw a party for the kids on the same day providing juice and cakes.”
Sister Virgo Offerens, S.S.V.M., writing from St. Michael-St. Malachy, East New York, explains, “With the grant from Bright Christmas, it helps us to fund our Christmas party for our children.  We put on a Nativity play.  The children sing Christmas carols and we finish with the Holy Mass.  People from the parish have helped make the costumes and they are nice, but they are starting to get old, so we need to look for more resources for the costumes. We also have a reception following Christmas Eve Mass for all of the families and I hope for the Bright Christmas grant to help provide for this expense.”
Yadhira Deras of Trinity Human Services Corp. in Williamsburg, tells us that “Every year we have a Christmas party for over 500 children and their families.  If we are granted the funds, we would use them to help us purchase food, drinks, decorations, goody bags for the children, or for the pictures with Santa.”
Despite the poor economy, many of us still are doing well enough to enjoy Christmas with gifts and parties as we commemorate the greatest gift of all – the Christ Child born on Christmas Day.  Sad to say, there are also many of our parishioners who do not have the same resources as we do.  Bright Christmas helps them to participate in the season.
The Tablet’s Bright Christmas Fund has been helping us help others brighten their Christmas for more than 40 years. It’s simple to participate.  Make out a check to Bright Christmas and mail to us. We’ll distribute the funds as soon as we receive them.