The Department for Persons With Disabilities (DPD) has submitted the following press release asking for the community's help during the holiday season:
The Christmas Season is here and the Department for Persons with Disabilities (DPD) is preparing to celebrate this very special time of year. In order to ensure that their “special family” has a wonderful Christmas, they are asking for community support for their Happiness Christmas Tree Event.
The DPD provides residential, vocational and social support for adults with special needs and their families. 74 residents live in the DPD’s 11 programs throughout Passaic and Morris County and an additional 50 are served at their Gruenert Center Day Program in Lake Hopatcong. State funding has remained flat throughout the last several years and fundraising dollars are necessary for the DPD to continue to provide a very high quality of life. The DPD must raise nearly $500,000 annually for it to continue to strive.
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Each of the DPD Programs has a Christmas Tree waiting to be decorated. You may sponsor an ornament that will display your special message or memorial at the program or your choice. If you prefer, your ornament can be hung on the tree in DPD’s main office to show your support for all of our programs.
In 2010, the DPD raised over $10,000 in donations from the Happiness Tree Event. These donations truly improved the quality of life for the people that they serve. Recent budget cuts from the state, the uncertain economy and the cancelation of the 2011 Casey Golf Classic have made their fundraising events more important than ever.
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They are hoping that Patch readers will share some of their holiday spirit and generosity with the people they serve, so that they may continue to make their lives happy and fulfilled. As always, your kindness and generosity are greatly appreciated by the entire DPD family.
To make a donation online you can go to www.dpd.org/tree.
Or you can mail a donation to DPD – 1 Catholic Charities Way - PO Box 2539 – Oak Ridge, NJ 07438. Contact DPD Development Director Chris Brancato at 973-406-1104 with any questions about the DPD or the 2011 Happiness Tree
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