CB South Boys LAX and NOVA friends make holidays bright for crime victims

Each holiday season, counselors and advocates of Network of Victim Assistance team up with enthusiastic and thoughtful people in the community to provide holiday comfort and joy to Bucks County families in need who were impacted by crime.

With help from many different people and organizations – including many NOVA employees – NOVA delivered holiday gifts, food and household items to more than 15 Bucks County families who would have otherwise gone without.

The counselors and advocates identify the families and NOVA supporters do the rest by choosing and contributing thoughtful gifts for each child and parent.

Meanwhile, Central Bucks South Boys Lacrosse team collected donated food and delivered it to Network of Victim Assistance’s Jamison headquarters on December 11.

NOVA counselors Charity Mackey, MS, LPC, and Joyce Jeffries, MA, LPC, coordinated the effort. They thanked this year’s donors who have given generously to provide a holiday experience where none would have existed without their help.

“At a time that is supposed to be filled with joy and wonder, many of our clients feel hopeless and helpless,” said Ms. Mackey. “Your generosity, the time you spent picking out just the right gift, the sacrifices you made to put a beautifully wrapped package under someone else’s tree – these made all the difference. You did not just deliver gifts or clothing or food this year…you delivered magic.”

For the eighth year, the lacrosse team’s efforts enabled NOVA to fill the holiday food baskets that accompany gifts chosen by donors for client families.

“Giving back is an important part of being a member of the community,” says Mike Sharman, head coach of the CB South Boys Lacrosse program, “and having the team working together each year to help NOVA creates team spirit while helping others.”

“We’re impressed every year by the hard work the team, with the help of coach Sharman and the team’s parent association, puts toward this initiative,” says Julie Dugery, NOVA’s volunteer and community outreach coordinator. “They collect the food from all the families of the players, bring it here to NOVA’s training room, sort it and re-pack it into gift bags for our counselors and advocates to deliver to our clients.”