TPD Successfully Concludes Annual “12 Ways of Giving” Program!

As the 2020 holiday season has come to an end, so has TPD’s annual holiday giving program, which was created to benefit community members (and animals) across the eastern United States. This program also helped TPDers continue to connect with one of our collective corporate values: The commitment to bettering our surrounding communities through charitable work and giving. Our staff, their family and generous neighbors once again came together to make our “12 Ways of Giving” program a success!

This year, our focus was really on reaching out to lend a helping hand at the local level. From the smiles on children’s faces who received our Toys for Tots donations, to the organizations that received our financial donations at the end of this very crazy and trying year… our efforts were worth it. We extend a sincere “thank you” to everyone who generously contributed money, supplies and/or time delivering donations. We really came together this year, despite the obvious challenges presented due to COVID.

Photos from our efforts this year: https://trafficpd.smugmug.com/Winter-2020-12-Ways-of-Giving/

Events and Collections
1. Wreaths Across America
The National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Bridgeville, PA remembers and honors veterans by placing wreaths on each of their 12,300+ veterans’ gravestones. The in-person volunteering portion we normally participate in, which entails placing wreaths as well as cleaning them up after the holidays, was skipped this year due to COVID; however, TPD coordinated a donation team, sponsoring 33 wreaths this year.
2. Main Line Animal Rescue Volunteering
On Friday, December 4th, TPDers were scheduled to visit Main Line Animal Rescue (MLAR) in Phoenixville, PA to lend them a hand by volunteering for a few hours. Due to COVID, we were unable to volunteer in person and made a monetary donation to their Medical Fund instead.
3. Operation 143 Collection
Operation 143, which is based out of Pottstown, PA, collects specific food items that are packed into backpacks to feed food insecure students throughout local communities across southeastern PA. Typically, each child who qualifies is sent home from school for the weekend with a backpack full of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks to last them until Monday. Since school attendance is different this year, each student is provided two weekends’ worth of food at a time, delivered directly to their homes or places of living. This year, TPD donated over 130 pounds of food to their program!
4. Ronald McDonald House Can Tab Collection
Ronald McDonald Houses (RMH) provide a home-away-from-home to families with a seriously ill or injured child during treatment. RMH collects aluminum can tabs to be recycled to help offset the House’s expenses. TPDers collected and donated over 5 pounds of tabs this year to their Southern New Jersey location!
5. Toys for Tots
Keeping up with annual tradition, TPD’s Pottstown, PA was a Toys for Tots drop-off location. This year, with help from community members, we donated and distributed 424 toys to local charities via the US Marine Corps Reserve’s program!
6. The Center for Animal Health & Welfare Collection
The Center for Animal Health & Welfare is a private, no-kill shelter based out of Easton, PA. At any given time, they house approximately 100 cats, dogs, and other critters. TPD donated supplies and pet accessories to help the Center continue to support the critters who call their facility home.
7. MANNA Donation
In an effort to continue to support MANNA (Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance) in Philadelphia, members of the Philadelphia, PA office joined together to raise money to donate to the organization. MANNA’s volunteers and staff prepare and package medically-tailored meals; these meals are like a prescription for people who suffer from life-threatening illnesses, and help these clients maintain a healthy diet. The meals that are prepared for their 1,400+ clients are all completed in this Philadelphia facility, and are shipped across the state. This year we pooled staff and TPD’s corporate donations to purchase a dedicated TPD kitchen tile for $1,000 that will bring food to the bellies who need proper nutrition the most.
8. AHOPE Day Center Collection
TPD’s Asheville, NC office collected new socks and towels for the AHOPE Day Center’s Program, owned by Homeward Bound of Western North Carolina (WNC). AHOPE is a program where people experiencing homelessness can shower, access basic needs and receive services. This donation helped warm the feet and hearts of those in need in Asheville.
9. The Paris Foundation Donation
The Paris Foundation is a non-profit organization located in Elkton, MD. It is named in memory of Leslie Carl Paris, honoring his many years of service to the poor and homeless in the community. Our Elkton, MD office honored their neighbors by collecting dining supplies for the daily meals they distribute to their guests in need, as well as providing a monetary donation on TPD’s behalf. This donation helped fund holiday meals for those in need.
10. SANTA’s Side Kicks
Members of our Freehold, NJ office teamed up to save Santa the trouble this year for one local family. Through the “Santa’s Side Kicks” program, they shopped for a 5-year-old girl’s entire Christmas list (and then some)! Families who are less fortunate are chosen by local schools to be assisted each year in making their family’s holiday extra special. A child makes a list to Santa and Santa’s Side Kicks buy as much off the list as possible. Our Side Kicks also provided gifts for the older siblings (a sister, 15 & a brother, 17) and something special for the parents as well. Additional money was also contributed to other children in the program.
11. NICU Care Packages
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is never a place you want to find yourself, especially during the holiday season. TPD provided six families with newborns staying in the Phoenixville Hospital’s NICU (Chester County, PA) with a “Happy Holidays” themed care packages to brighten their stays. The NICU and Labor and Delivery staff were also provided with a beautiful holiday cookie tray to thank them for their hard work.
12. Sweet Spreading
In place of TPD’s Pottstown, PA office’s annual Sweet Contest and associated food donation, money was donated to the Daily Bread Community Food Pantry in Collegeville, PA to help fund families’ holiday meals.  
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