UPDATED: Big changes at Goodfellows, as charity seeks to maintain donations during COVID

Author of the article:

Julie Kotsis  •  Windsor Star

Publishing date:

Nov 27, 2020  •   •  2 minute read

CUPE member Mark Lockwood uses a multi-use grabber to deliver a Goodfellow newspaper on Thursday, November 26, 2020 in downtown Windsor, ON. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

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The COVID-19 pandemic may have put the brakes on the 110-year tradition of peddling Goodfellows Special Edition newspapers on street corners this year but there are still many ways to donate.

The annual fundraising drive, which began Thursday and continues through Saturday, looks a little different this year.

Self-serve newspaper donation boxes have been set up at numerous locations across Windsor, LaSalle and Tecumseh, replacing volunteers who stood at busy intersections offering special edition copies of the Windsor Star in exchange for a donation.

Larger companies are doing their own collections and some groups, like the LaSalle Fire Service, are hawking papers outside of grocery or hardware stores.

Donations can also be made via text or online or by dropoff at the Goodfellows headquarters.

“We’ve gone modern, there’s no two ways about it,” said president Art Reid.

“We’ve gone into now texting of money and emailing money and all kinds of ways of doing it online — for the more modern, younger people as I call them,“ he said with a chuckle.

LaSalle firefighter Matt Day sells Goodfellow newspapers in front of a grocery store in town on Thursday, November 26, 2020. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

The newspaper drive brings in about one-third of the organization’s annual budget. Last year $380,000 was raised and Reid hopes to raise that much or more this year.

“If we don’t pick up that money, that amount of money, well then we’re going to have to reduce … some of our (charitable work),” Reid said. “We spend just about all of our money, other than paying our light bill — we’ve got no employees — all of our money goes into providing food and other items for our clients.”

The Goodfellows support school breakfast programs, a shoe and boot program and food for high school “couch students,” some 275-plus kids who aren’t living at home but rather are staying at a friend’s house, sleeping on their couch. Goodfellows also distribute food boxes on a regular basis.

But Christmas brings a special giveaway.

Reid explained that the Christmas box contains not only groceries and a large chicken or turkey but also items for children, hats and mitts, personal hygiene products and other items donated to the organization. A grocery store voucher is also included.

“It makes it special for the holiday season,” he said.

CUPE member Joe Tedesco is shown along Riverside Drive where a drive-thru was set up Thursday to safely sell Goodfellow newspapers. Tedesco was alerting motorists to the location along the waterfront. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

It’s expected somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 boxes will be distributed, beginning Dec. 15.

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All recipients must pre-register.

On Dec. 14, the Goodfellows will send out loads of food to other charitable organizations for distribution as well.

“We give out hundreds of boxes of food to other agencies who usually don’t give out on a regular basis during the year but at Christmas time they’ve been giving it out,” Reid said.

To locate a newspaper donation box, visit https://www.windsorgoodfellows.org/events/annual-paper-drive-for-2019/. To donate online, visit www.windsorgoodfellows.org or by mobile phone, text Goodgive to 45678 to donate $5, $10 or $20. Or drop off cash or cheque donations at the Goodfellows headquarters at 401 Park St. W.

jkotsis@postmedia.com

twitter.com/KotsisStar

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