Goodfellow Fund announces major change as it begins 2020 holiday campaign
The Goodfellow Fund, which has been providing clothes to children in need for 108 years, is making a big change as it starts accepting applications for the 2020 Christmas season.
This year, instead of focusing on clothes, the charity will focus on giving holiday food to families in need: turkey, ham and sides will be provided to an expected 6,000 selected applicants this year.
Earlier this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, the fund partnered with the Tarrant Area Food Bank and raised money for food, which went to children during the summer.
Richard Greene, executive director of the charity, said shift in focus is influenced by the pandemic. The charity usually conducts in-person interviews to select recipients of a $50 gift card for clothes for kids. The pandemic makes that impractical, Greene said.
He said the majority of Goodfellow volunteers are retired and in high-risk populations.
The organization is partnering with the Tarrant Area Food Bank to acquire 6,000 turkeys, something Greene said wouldn’t have been possible in the summer without the help of the food bank. Most food service companies and restaurants order their turkeys in January or February, he said.
The charity is accepting donations to help fulfill that goal.
The parameters of the program will be similar to previous years, but there will be no interviews or requirement for applicants to provide proof of income.
“With the pandemic, everybody is having a hard time,” Greene said. “There’s no reason for us to expect that families who were doing fine last year or earlier this year aren’t struggling now.”
Families will still have to live in Tarrant County and have children in school. They will be asked to provide proof of enrollment.
Food will be picked up from distribution locations set up by the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Families will put an acceptance letter on their dashboard and go through a drive-thru line.
The two organizations are working on plans to serve families without vehicles, considering a separate line where they can pick up food.
How to donate
Since 1912, the Star-Telegram’s Goodfellow Fund has provided practical gifts for schoolchildren. This year, the fund is giving holiday meals to Tarrant County families. Join this tradition by sending a contribution to Goodfellows, Box 1870, Fort Worth, TX 76101. Or visit goodfellowfundfw.com and make a secure credit card donation.
This story was originally published October 16, 2020 at 9:46 AM.