Goodfellow Fund hopes to provide clothes for 12,000 Tarrant County children

Christmas in the Fort Worth area has, since 1912, given big folks who have enough a chance to help little folks.

The charity that started out providing food and firewood to less fortunate families evolved into a program that puts new clothes on kids’ bodies and new shoes on their feet.

But success depends on generous readers.

Last year, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Goodfellow Fund overshot its $750,000 goal by $50,000, enabling the charity to give $50 gift cards to more than 12,000 kids.

“Think about the number 12,000 for a moment,” said Goodfellow Fund Executive Director Richard Greene. “That is 12,000 children that in all likelihood may have not had a holiday without the assistance of the Goodfellow Fund.”

The Goodfellow Fund couldn’t do it without its donors and volunteers, Greene said. And all hope the fund will do at least as well this year as last.

The Exchange Club of Fort Worth, for instance, historically leads the way with a peer-pressure party that generates donation totals such as last year’s $300,000. Greene also lauded area charitable foundations, civic clubs, neighborhood associations, churches and social service agencies “and our entire community that continue the 100-plus year legacy in supporting the Goodfellow Fund with thousands of donations.”

Greene said the number of donations remains fairly consistent year to year, but in recent seasons “we missed several of the larger, legacy donors,” he said. “I’m hopeful that many of the larger gifts will remain at the record levels of the past year.”

The charity also couldn’t function without more than 100 volunteers who train specifically to interview applicants to ensure each family qualifies according to rules about residence, income and number of school-age children, Greene said. Along with other volunteers performing various services, the effort annually invests more than 2,700 hours of personal energy.

Interviews are conducted each year from Oct. 30 through Dec. 6.

Recipients may use the J.C. Penney gift cards to buy clothes and shoes for their children. Some wrap the treasures and put them under trees so the kids have presents to open Christmas morning. Many others let the children wear their new clothes to school as soon as they’re purchased.

Be a jolly Goodfellow

Since 1912, the Star-Telegram’s Goodfellow Fund has provided practical gifts for schoolchildren. Join this tradition by visiting goodfellowfund.org to make a secure credit card donation.