Filling the tank

With so much going on all the time in Chestnut Hill, it can be easy to forget that the events and services provided by and for the community don't just happen -- they depend on the hard work of many volunteers, and, of course, money.

Both points are being underscored this week. The 32nd annual Chestnut Hill Community Fund drive has begun in earnest, and hundreds of local residents are receiving fund drive pledge forms in the mail or getting phone calls asking for their support. The money raised each year goes directly to a myriad of local institutions that depend on the support of the fund, the nonprofit wing of the Chestnut Hill Community Association.

Also this week, a meeting will be held at the home of CHCA social division vice president Tia Burke for anyone interested in volunteering for next summer's Pastorius Park concert series. Summer may seem far away at this point, but planning has already begun to top last year's record turnout and line-up of quality acts. The meeting will take place Sunday, Dec. 5 at 4 p.m.; call 215-247-1960 for more information.

As a provider of critical funds to a range of community projects, the community fund provides the fuel for many of the efforts that make Chestnut Hill a great place to live. In the past year, for example, the fund has supported the restoration of Buckley Park at the bottom of Germantown Avenue, blood drives, the Chestnut Hill Youth Sports Club, the Friends of the Children's Park of Chestnut Hill, Run for the Hill of It, Town Watch and Meals on Wheels, to name a few. The annual Pastorius Park Concerts, Teenagers, Inc., and the Chestnut Hill Senior Center, three facets of our community that most Hillers cannot imagine doing without, literally would not exist without the fund's support.

If you do not receive a mailing or a phone call about the fund drive, respond by either sending a check payable to CHCF to 8434 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19118, by calling the CHCA at 215-248-8810 or by going to www.chestnuthill.org to find out more and make a contribution.

Proceeds from the Holiday House Tour on Dec. 4 will benefit the Fund, as did the profits from the Black & White Gala. But more is always needed.

If you've never given before, now's a great time to start. If your tastes also run to more hands-on assistance, attend this week's Pastorius Park meeting and find out how to get involved in that effort. There's lots of ways to help.

James Sturdivant