Goodfellows teams with Tarrant Food Bank to feed needy families amid COVID pandemic
For some, the holidays can be more challenging than cheerful. It’s difficult to be joyful on an empty stomach.
Take, for example, Rose, who is almost 80 and struggling to get by on a small Social Security check. In a simple request she asks for some canned goods and a turkey, humbly adding the words, “if possible.”
That request was to the Goodfellow Fund, part of Star-Telegram Charities Inc. And yes, Rose, it is possible, thanks to the work of the many volunteers and donors who for 108 years have helped the Goodfellow Fund bring some holiday joy to those who are less fortunate.
And you can help Goodfellows this year as they continue that mission, fighting through the COVID-19 pandemic that has gripped all of us. The coronavirus is spiking once again, but so is the determination of those battling to make sure the Goodfellows mission once again succeeds.
This year the Goodfellow Fund of Tarrant County, working with the Tarrant Area Food Bank and Albertson’s/Tom Thumb, is doing even more to lift the holiday spirits of many who might otherwise go without. They will provide food packets for underprivileged children and their families, but this year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they will include assistance to residents even without children.
Residents like Rose need your help. Families with young children asking themselves how much they can spend at the grocery store and still have enough to pay the light bill are praying for a miracle — and that miracle can be you.
“The fact is that everyone needs help at some time. Asking for the help is the tough thing to do,” said Richard Greene, Goodfellows executive director. “It is just human nature to think of ourselves as independent, not to admit that we ‘can’t go it alone.’”
Because of Goodfellows, folks don’t have to face the loneliness of being hungry and wondering where the next bit of food is coming from. Greene said the goal is to feed up to 6,000 families in Tarrant County, which would include around 26,000 family members.
To do so will require the help of us all. Goodfellows is accepting donations and requests as they prepare to box up some happiness and change the holiday fortunes for many families.
The food kits to be distributed include a smoked turkey and/or ham and four boxes of food. In all, that’s approximately 90 pounds of food.
The food will be distributed in two locations. On Dec. 15 folks in Fort Worth can pick up their kits at the Dickies Arena parking lot. On Dec. 17, those in Arlington can get their kits at the Globe Life Field parking area.
The application process has changed this year due to COVID-19. In-person interviews have been dismissed. To apply for assistance — and to donate — visit goodfellowfundfw.com.
Those receiving the meal kits will receive a letter in the mail. In the letter they will be asked to come to one of the aforementioned Tarrant Area Food Bank drive-through pickup sites.
The letter must be brought with you to receive your meal. You may have a family member or friend pick up the meal for you, but they must have the letter.
In prior years, volunteers interviewed each applicant and reviewed their qualifying documentation. But because of the pandemic, the face to face meeting is not possible.
“COVID-19 brought our ability to provide that this season that to a halt. But the infrastructure for the Goodfellow Fund was in place to be able to change our mission and still provide assistance to needy families with school children,” Greene said.
Greene said in the past about 300 applicants were interviewed each day. While the ability to do such interviews is gone, at least for the moment, the ability and desire to help remains, and more than ever, he said.
“You have only to stop for a few minutes to think about what COVID-19 has dealt to families from all socioeconomic backgrounds. The need is large…. Asking for help is tough,” he said.
“As they have done in the past, we are hoping that the community continues to support the Goodfellow brand and the 108 year old legacy of the fund in an initiative to provide a holiday meal, complete with a smoked turkey to thousands of needy families.”
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.