Father raising quadruplets alone finds support from Goodfellows

His partner died in child birth, leaving Bob to raise quadruplets alone.

“I’ve been single for seven years and still paying for the medical bills,” he said. “But I see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Bob lost his job shortly after he lost his partner, and hasn’t been able to do more than gig work because he couldn’t afford child care. He found the network of support agencies frustratingly unsupportive.

“It’s hard to navigate the welfare system,” he said. “I didn’t qualify for free formula, because I wasn’t breast feeding. I didn’t qualify for assistance from the Women, Infants and Children agency, because I’m not a woman. I got rejected by charities, because the Social Security number I put on applications showed that I’m a man.”

The system just wasn’t set up for men, Bob said.

“It was set up for men’s failure. After a while, I just got discouraged. I went into survival mode, and that burned some bridges. I had to borrow money and there are a lot of broken connections with family and friends as a result.”

Fortunately, Bob said, the Goodfellow Fund doesn’t care if you’re a man. He got $50 J.C. Penney gift cards for each child.

“It was a gift to this dad to see them pick out the clothes they wanted to wear based on their individual personalities,” he said. “They got shoes and jeans for school.”

With each birthday, Bob’s kids take a little more weight off his back. He’s even playing with the idea of landing a full-time job, if he can work out the logistics of keeping his kids safe during hours when they’re not in school.

“On one job that I applied for, my credit history prevented them from hiring me,” he said. “But after seven years, I think some of the stuff will drop off. Most of it I’ve taken care of. It’s just all the setbacks.”

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, 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 visit goodfellowfundfw.com to make a secure credit card donation.