Thankful for Mr. Goodfellow

This Thanksgiving we are grateful for the many generous people who, over the past century, have donated money to this newspaper’s Mr. Goodfellow fund so that kids can stay warm in the winter.

One hundred years ago this month, Storm Lake newspaper publisher Bill Jarnagin, in the guise of Mr. Goodfellow, started the drive to provide warm winter clothes for children who couldn’t afford them.

Every year since then at this time Mr. Goodfellow’s helpers have sprung into action to make sure no kid goes cold here. It may be the oldest continuous program of its kind in the state.

The need has grown exponentially in recent years as more families have moved to Storm Lake from locations that don’t have winters like ours. In fact, many don’t have winters at all. Our new neighbors from Central and South America and the Pacific islands are unprepared to confront the cold and snow with the proper coats and gloves that we take for granted. Since they’re new in town, they are confronted with many other expenses like housing, food and utilities that may leave them short of cash when it comes time to buying winter wear that can be pretty costly.

Mr. Goodfellow is assisted by the staff at local schools who know who needs help and discretely take care of them. There is no bureaucracy or forms to fill out. If a teacher sees a kid needs a coat or mittens or boots, they are quietly provided. School staff buy what’s needed and Mr. Goodfellow picks up the check.

The Times Pilot’s Dolores Cullen coordinates the program with the schools to make sure all the kids who need warm clothes get them.

We also appreciate the donations of winter clothes that local clubs have collected for us.

None of this could happen without the generosity of you, our kind-hearted readers, who have given every year to make sure these kids are warm at the holiday season. The need is great. Each of the last two years Mr. Goodfellow has purchased more than $33,000 worth of clothes. Donations have amounted to about $14,000 each year, but fortunately we have had enough reserves to make up the difference so we haven’t had to scale back yet.

Originally Mr. Goodfellow concentrated on Storm Lake schools, but in recent years we have expanded the outreach to other schools that serve Buena Vista County students. We hope the money holds out so we can continue to serve as many families as possible throughout Buena Vista County. Each year we assist about 250 kids in Storm Lake and 120 more in surrounding communities like Alta, Newell-Fonda, Sioux Central and Albert City-Truesdale.

Traditionally donors have sent us checks but this year, to make it more convenient, you can also donate online at www.stormlake.com. Click on the Mr. Goodfellow banner which will take you to the secure donation page on our website.

Of course, you are welcome to contribute these traditional ways as well:

• We happily accept checks sent to Mr. Goodfellow, c/o Storm Lake Times Pilot, PO Box 487, Storm Lake, IA 50588.
• Call our office at 712-732-4991 and pay with a credit or debit card.
• Visit us at 220 W. Railroad St.

Every penny you donate goes directly to benefit the children. The Times Pilot covers all the administrative costs. We maintain a separate bank account for the funds and our accountant reviews it every year.

Mr. Goodfellow and all the children he helps thank you for your generosity over the past 100 years in taking care of the families who have built Storm Lake. We hope the families we help today will grow into the leaders of our community for the next 100 years.

Long live Mr. Goodfellow!