Daily Times, Salvation Army Merry Christmas Fund raises nearly $27,000

CHESTER—The 2022 Daily Times and Salvation Army Merry Christmas Fund closed the season out at $26,965, with a final check arriving after New Year’s Day:

Richard and Susan Gatchell of Upper Chichester, $50

The final tally brought the fund to 54 percent of its $50,000 goal on 122 donors amidst the current inflationary environment and recession fears. A late rally of four-figure donations pushed the fund to over the 50% mark, coming in down only 17 percent from the prior year’s $32,600 despite the economic uncertainty.

This season, the Salvation Army Chester Corps served toys, food baskets and clothing to 482 families during the Christmas season. The distributions of 2,015 toys and 3,042 articles of clothing went to just over 2,000 individuals. The fund will also help the corps stretch its operating budget through the first quarter to cover its shelter, regular food distribution and other programs.

“Despite that it was tough, people were still very generous and that’s what matters,” said Major Kathleen Calvo of the Salvation Army Chester Corps. “People are generous with each other and looking out for each other during the holiday season. That was evidenced by (the number of families served), and that was possible because of the generosity of our neighbors – the people who donate to the Merry Christmas Fund.”

The donors to the 2022 Merry Christmas Fund are:

Anonymous of Aldan; Anonymous of Aston; Anonymous of Aston; Anonymous of Aston; Anonymous of Brookhaven; Anonymous of Brookhaven; Anonymous of Boothwyn; Anonymous of Folsom; Anonymous of Folsom; Anonymous of Folsom; Anonymous of Franklinville, N.J.; Anonymous of Glen Mills; Anonymous of Glen Mills; Anonymous of Glen Mills; Anonymous of Glen Mills; Anonymous of Ridley Park; Anonymous of Media; Anonymous of Media; Anonymous of Media; Anonymous of Media; Anonymous of Media; Anonymous of Newtown Square; Anonymous of Wallingford; Scott and Linda Armstrong of Media; Kimberly A. Barrett of Glenolden; Robert and Susan Belczyk of Media; James and Diana Billinger of Parkside; Chambers Memorial Presbyterian Church of Rutledge; Vincent J. Christi, Jr. of Aldan; Jim and Cheryl Clark of Ridley Park; Tim and Debbie Coin of Upper Chichester; H. Tony Colgan of Broomall; Joann Coltman of Wallingford; Kevin and Conchetta Albright of Aston; Deborah A. Cotter of Media; Thomas and Kathleen Cummings of Brookhaven; Ursula M. Davis of Media; Jean Deprisco of Morton; Anita Jean Doney of Norwood; Timothy Donovan of Prospect Park; George F. Dougherty III of Swarthmore; Sean Elf of Shamrock Lane, Dublin; Charles and Karen Ellis of Folsom; Werner and Donna Ellis of Elkton, Md.; Patricia R. Empfield of Glen Mills; Marvin and Ruth Ann Eyrich of Brookhaven.

Karen Forte of Media; Dorothy Hewitt of Northborough, Mass.; Verdell and Sylvia Hicks of Chester; Diane S. Holloway of Primos; Ronald and Edith Host of Clifton Heights; Allyn and Barbara Hostetter of Media; Richard and Susan Gatchell of Upper Chichester; Richard and Adrienne Gallo of Media; Kim Garrison of Aston; Dot Gieder of Upper Chichester; William and Peggy Green of Upper Chichester; Kenneth Groff of Concordville; Sheila A. Iacono of Woodlyn; Lee Janiczek of Springfield; Candace Johnson of Aston; Joan B. Johnston of Milton Park; Daniel and Susan Kennedy of Chester; Thomas and Ann Kiely of Glenolden; Frank and Dottie Kmat of Brookhaven; Robert and Kathleen Koehler of Folsom; Walter and Ruth Kozak of Folsom; Michael and Carol Ann Kruklis Springfield.

Frank Langill of Lansdowne; Michael R. Lee of Morton; Robert J. Levis of Broomall; Lions Club of Aston Township; Raymond and Norma Locke of Aston; Donald G. Longwell of Boothwyn; Denise and Laurence Lynch of Swarthmore; Barbara Kearney of Prospect Park; Richard A. Maxwell of Media; William and Mary McAleer of Lima; Patricia McCollough of Springfield; Kathleen A. McHenry of Boothwyn; Robert and Dorothy McLaughlin of Ridley Park; Lynn A. Menta of Media; James and Christine Morrison of Morton; William J. Morrissey of Port Charlotte, Fla.; Keith and Regina Murray of Folsom; Mary C. Nagle of Media; Bernice Napier of Drexel Hill; Cole and Patricia O’Brien of Boothwyn; Jan O’Brien-Ricks of Aston; Shirley Ostrander of Glen Riddle; Joseph and Helen Paige of Glen Mills; Anthony and Betty Palma of Media; Parkside Senior Center; William and Tracy Price of Wallingford; David and Susan Rice of Garnet Valley; Margaret Roberts of Broomall; Robert T. Rooney of Ridley Park.

Louis Sachar of Collingdale; Annmarie Sakers of Brookhaven; Brandon Schaffer of Clifton Heights; Mary W. Scott of Media; Kimberly Shaffer of Ridley Park; Barbara and Adam Siekierski of Swarthmore; Sloppy Joes Inc. of Chester; R. Lee Smitham of Aston; Dorothy Smoak of Chester; Mark S. Stewart and Mary Gay Scanlon of Swarthmore; St. James Catholic High School Alumni Association of Eddystone; St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Chester; Paul and Linda Tallant of Springfield; Anthony and Joanna Tate of Garnet Valley; Thomas M. Thomas Memorial Presbyterian Church of Chester; Donald Toy of Ridley Park/Oceanside, Calif. (Camp Pendleton); Richard and Antonia Turner of Garnet Valley; VFW Post 3460 of Media; John and Rita Volpe of Aston; Ronald and Sheila Withelder of Aston; John and Diane West of Brookhaven; Bud and Ginger Whalen of Glenolden; Nancy White of Glenolden; Margaret E. Woolard of Springfield; Lawrence and Nancy Worrilow of Brookhaven.