Exchange Club donates $8,000 as Goodfellow Fund works to feed children during coronavirus
The Goodfellow Fund has raised $36,000 to help feed Fort Worth area children during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Exchange Club in Fort Worth has donated $8,000. Scott Kleberg, president of the Exchange Club, said the idea came from longtime member Breck Ray after he read about the effort in the Star-Telegram.
The donation came from a fund usually used for a spring outing, such as a picnic or backyard party, which was canceled because of the novel coronavirus.
“We asked our members about canceling the spring outing and using that money to send to the Goodfellow Fund and they were thrilled about the idea,” Kleberg said.
The Exchange Club donates to the Goodfellow Fund’s annual Christmas fundraiser, and Kleberg said this donation doesn’t change plans to do so this year.
The Goodfellow Fund switched its focus for the first time in its more than 100 years from providing clothes at Christmas to collecting checks for food.
“I believe this terrific response is again testament to the name, the goodwill, trust, integrity and the legacy Amon G. Carter created in founding the Goodfellow Fund over 100 years ago,” said Richard Greene, executive director of the fund.
In the first five days of the new fundraising campaign, the Goodfellow Fund received $25,000.
Why it’s necessary
A lot of children in Tarrant County rely on school meals each day, Greene said, but with the coronavirus outbreak closing schools, many children are going without. Schools across the county have set up options for parents and students to get meals, but Greene said he thinks the people of the county can do even more.
Greene believes the Goodfellow Fund can leverage its name recognition to help spread awareness of the need for meals. The fund also gives people a place to put their money to work, even if they don’t have much to give amid the layoffs and reduced hours.
“We just had a feeling many Tarrant County residents wanted to help but didn’t feel their $5 or $15 or $25 or $50 would do much good, and then they don’t even know where to send it,” Greene said.
The Fort Worth school district, like many others in Tarrant County, already has a program to provide these meals to school children. The money will go to the Tarrant Area Food Bank to help the district continue the child nutrition program as costs rise related to the coronavirus.
Unlike during Christmas time, the fund doesn’t have a specific goal or deadline. The efforts will continue until the need has ended, Greene said.
How to help
Send donations to Goodfellows, Box 1870, Fort Worth, TX 76101. Or visit goodfellowfundfw.com to make a secure credit card donation.