Goodfellow Fund helps kids whose mom fled an abusive home

Charlotte had no good choices after the last time her husband assaulted her. It was either grab her kids and run or lose both of them, said her mother.

“Child Protective Services told her he was into some serious drugs and she had to leave him or they’d take away her kids,” said the grandmother of a boy and girl who are living with their mom in a Fort Worth-area women’s shelter, and who filed an application for Goodfellow Fund help on their behalf.

Depending on the outcome of her interview with Goodfellow confirmation counselors, Charlotte could get a $50 JC Penney gift card for each child, which can be used for clothing or shoes. That may not seem like much. But when timed right during the retailer’s pre-Christmas sales, $50 can go a ways.

“She really needs some extra help,” Charlotte’s mom said. “I remembered that my grandmother got help from Goodfellows as she raised 12 kids — only two her own. She worked two jobs, but still needed extra help. I remembered that and applied for my daughter.”

Charlotte can’t work while she’s living in the shelter, her mom said. “She’s trying to get a divorce, trying to get housing. I’m just proud of her for staying strong for those kids.”

Charlotte’s been faced with lots of decisions that are harder than the decision she made to run from an abuser. The gift cards could mean the difference between deciding whether the kids get coats or the car she’s using gets a tank of gas.

Be a jolly Goodfellow

Since 1912, the Star-Telegram’s Goodfellow Fund has provided practical gifts for schoolchildren. Join this tradition by sending a contribution to Goodfellows, Box 1870, Fort Worth, TX 76101. Or go online to goodfellowfund.org and make a secure credit card donation.

This story was originally published November 21, 2018 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Goodfellow Fund helps kids whose mom fled an abusive home."