Project Keeps Bucks Co. Homeless Advocate's Legacy Alive

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Christopher Cramp's legacy for helping the homeless in Bucks County will continue year after year.

Cramp, 56, of Bristol Borough, and his 31-year-old son David Cramp died trying to save 24-year-old Thomas Cramp, who took his own life, authorities said. All died after being struck by a high-speed train at the Bristol Station earlier this year.

"We are renaming this, an every-year additional drive in honor of Christopher Cramp, and have expanded it to include the police departments, co-responders, and communities of Lower Bucks County where he made such a difference," said Christopher Clark, operations lieutenant for the Falls Township Police Department.

Cramp had worked for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) in Bucks County, which has its office in Warrington. He served as a certified peer specialist who worked with Penndel Mental Health doing homeless outreach before later taking a job with Bucks County's Human Services Department.

Cramp helped hundreds of people in Bucks County, helping the homeless with getting shelter, treatment, counseling, food, and other much-needed services.

Christopher Cramp's Project DASH will carry forward his legacy of compassion and service, officials said.

Project DASH will continue providing vital aid to the Lower Bucks County communities he so passionately served. All donations will benefit local public service organizations that provide critical services that support Bucks County's homeless population.

The Bristol Borough Police Department is teaming up with Falls Township Police on a project they started to combat Bucks County's homeless population.

Falls Township has been working with Cramp's son, Nicholas Cramp, and his sister, Donna Edmondson, to make the legacy drive possible.

We will be seeking additional faith-based, business, fraternal, etc... organizations in the Lower Bucks County area to serve as a donation site. Anyone interested is asked to contact Amy Walton at a.walton@fallstwppd.com

The project, which started Oct. 1 and runs through Nov. 3, involves Falls Township Police working with businesses, and faith-based community and fraternal organizations to serve as publicly identified collection sites for items in high demand.

Lower Bucks County organizations to serve the homeless and unsheltered community as the cold weather arrives include:

• Family Service Association (Operates Emergency Homeless Shelter and Street Medicine)
• Penndel Mental Health (Street Outreach, PATH, Projects for Assistance in the Transition from Homelessness)
• Reach Out Foundation of Bucks County
• AHTN, Advocates for the Homeless and Those in Need (Code Blue Shelter)
• The United Way of Bucks County (The HELP Center)
• Valley Youth House

There will be two different aspects to the program, this year and every year going forward:

• The project is being formally renamed and dedicated as the Christopher Cramp Direct Appeal to Support Homelessness (DASH).
• The outreach will extend beyond our community to include police departments, merchants, faith-based organizations, fraternal associations, etc… in Lower Bucks County.

"Christopher’s life was a commitment to being an advocate for those facing homelessness in Bucks County. Christopher understood firsthand the challenges that many individuals struggle with, having navigated his own mental health challenges and personal experiences with homelessness," Clark said. "These experiences fueled his passion for helping others who were going through similar hardships. He dedicated countless hours to finding resources and offering support to those in need, always going above and beyond to connect people with the help they required."

Officials said that Cramp was a mentor and guide for many, constantly offering practical advice and a listening ear to those in crisis. His belief in empowerment — helping others regain their dignity and stability — was at the heart of everything he did.

"Christopher’s life reminds us that our true legacy is defined not by the challenges we face, but by the ways we use our experiences to help those around us," Cramp said. "He will forever be remembered as someone who dedicated his life to supporting others, whether at work or at home, and his memory will live on through the many lives he touched with his kindness, generosity, and unwavering commitment to making the world a better place."

Among the donation locations are:

• Bucks County Coroner’s Office, 850 Eagle Blvd., Warminster.
• Falls Police Department, 430 Lincoln Highway, Fairless Hills.
• Bristol Borough Police Department, 250 Pond St., Bristol.
• Bristol Township Police Department, 2501 Bath Road, Levittown.
• Middletown Township Police Department, 3 Municipal Way, Langhorne.
• Morrisville Police Department, 35 Union St., Morrisville.
• Tullytown Police Department, 500 Main St., Tullytown.
• Yardley Borough Police Department, 56 S. Main St., Yardley.
• Thornridge Hardware, 8730 New Falls Road, Levittown.
• St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 130 Levittown Parkway, Levittown.
• First United Methodist Church, 840 Trenton Road, Fairless Hills.
• Fallsington Library, 139 Yardley Ave., Fallsington.
• Old Navy, 140 Commerce Blvd., Fairless Hills.
• ShopRite, 547 S. Oxford Valley Road, Fairless Hills.
• Extreme Fitness, 8724 New Falls Road, Levittown.
• Falls Senior Center, 282 Trenton Road, Fairless Hills.
• Giant Food Store, 470 S. Oxford Valley Road, Fairless Hills.
• American Legion Post 834, 300 Yardley Ave., Fallsington.
• St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, 325 S. Oxford Valley Road, Fairless Hills.
• Holy Trinity Church, 201 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Morrisville.
• Grocery Outlet 510 Lincoln Highway, Fairless Hills.
• Giovanni’s Dillicious Pickles, 802 Bristol Pike, Croydon.
• Morrisville Free Library, 330 North Pennsylvania Avenue, Morrisville.
• Krajewski Agency Valor Insurance, 8622 New Falls Road, Levittown.
• Bristol Borough Fire Association — The association includes the Bristol Fire Company, Bristol Consolidated, Goodwill Hose Company, and American Hose Hook and Ladder.