The Bucks County Opportunity Council, a non-profit that serves low-income families in the county, had its 10th annual breakfast at Spring Mill Country Club in Ivyland on Friday to celebrate another successful year. Over 200 people attended, including community partners, clients, staff, supporters, donors, board members and volunteers. Those who got a chance to speak shared stories of gratitude, triumph, caring, and commitment.
“Through our various programs, more than 57,000 people benefited from the financial and in-kind support we offered—whether through food distribution, housing stability, or support in accessing education and economic resources. These numbers reflect not only the scale of need, but also our commitment to helping each family find hope and resilience,” said Erin Lukoss, Executive Director of BCOC.
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The 57,000 people received aid between July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, through the BCOC’s five program areas: Housing, Food, Economic Self-Sufficiency (ES), Weatherization, and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA). Some of the recipients of the program who spoke at the breakfast included Amy, whose family received assistance through the weatherization program, and Dennise, whose experience with the VITA program made a valuable economic difference for her family.
There were also three awards given out during the breakfast for those who gave extra support to the BCOC. BBack Car Care was awarded the “Building Brides: Community Impact Award” for their partnership with BCOC in serving the Bucks County community through the Wheelz2Work program and food drives, Gannett Publishing was the recipient of the Community Connector Award for their partnership with BCOC through the Give A Christmas program and Josh Klein was awarded the Ambassador of the Year Award for his years of dedicated efforts to provide affordable housing and prevent homelessness in Bucks County.
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“Everyone has their reasons for volunteering. I’ve found that people want to connect to their community, make a difference, spend time with and support organizations whose mission they strongly believe in,” said BCOC Volunteer and Community Connections Manager Danielle Bush. According to the organization, 1,762 people volunteered with BCOC last year and 95 percent reported a high satisfaction rate.
