Poverty still a problem in Owensboro
12/9/2007
Messenger-Inquirer
Christmas is a hard time to be poor.
No one wants his or her child to be forgotten at Christmas.
So, in 1911, a group of young women who called themselves the St. Nicholas Girls decided to create a Christmas party for the poor children of the community.
They had expected 350 children to show up at Owensboro's City Hall. But 500 came -- in a city of only 16,000.
Five years later, when the St. Nicholas Girls decided to disband, the late Lawrence W. Hager Sr., longtime owner, editor and publisher of the Messenger-Inquirer, created the Goodfellows Club to carry on the tradition.
That year, 1,000 children showed up for parties at three locations.
Since then, more than 200,000 Owensboro children have celebrated at Goodfellows parties.
Poverty is still a problem in the community.
In 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau said 13.6 percent -- nearly one in seven -- of the county's families had incomes below the poverty line.
And for children, it was even worse.
Among families with children under 18, the poverty rate jumped to 21.8 percent in 2005 -- an increase of 49 percent.
More than half -- 53.2 percent -- of families headed by single mothers had incomes below the poverty line here that year.
In 2006, two of the numbers improved.
"Only" 9.3 percent of families had incomes below the poverty line. And "only" 15.4 percent of local families lived in poverty.
But nearly three-fourths of single mothers with children under age 5 -- 71.5 percent -- were poor in 2006.
The Goodfellows Club is working to ensure that those children will have a Christmas this year as well as warm clothes and shoes throughout the winter.
To help make that possible, send a contribution to Goodfellows Club, Messenger-Inquirer, Box 1480, Owensboro, KY 42302; or bring it to the newspaper office at 1401 Frederica St.
Today's Roll Call
Previously reported: $43,190.30
Owensboro Choral Society
Contributions:
Anonymous cash gifts: $1,185.78
In memory of Bertha A. West by Bill and Phyllis Dobbs: $50
In memory of Ed Basinger by Bill and Phyllis Dobbs: $25
In memory of Glennie and Bill Wright by Bill and Phyllis Dobbs: $25
In memory of Ralph O. Freer by Markley M. Freer: $25
In memory of William Robert Pendleton by Beverly Bartlett: $25
In memory of George Triplett III by Evelyn N. Triplett: $25
In memory of J.H. Glover and L.W. Melander by Mr. and Mrs. Harlan P.
Melander: $25
In memory of Ona Ruth, Todd, and Lana O'Flynn by Betty McDaniel: $20
In memory Charles D. Langford Jr. by Mr. and Mrs. John Langford: $20
In memory of Tom Higdon by Mr. and Mrs. Tom Dixon: $20
In memory of Joe Pillar by Bob and Judy Adams: $20
In honor of Jesus by Dakota Ollis: $2
Total for Owensboro Choral Society: $1,467.78
Highland Elementary School faculty, staff, and students: $400
In loving memory of Joe and Louise McKinley, Tom and Roselie Brady, Joe Brady, and Luke Woodward: $300
In memory of my wife, Elizabeth, who passed away April 23, 2007, by
J.D. Vaughan and daughters: $100
In loving memory of our parents, Hilton and Margaret Kincaid, and
Clyde Hight and Faye Hight Richeson: $100
In memory of Ralph Kunze by the Kunze family: $100
In honor of the employees of the United States District Court, Owensboro Division: $100
In memory of Margaret P. Roach by Danny, Lisa, Andrea, and Garret Ling: $50
In memory of Ronald E. Long by his wife, children, and grandchildren: $50
In memory of James Hudnall by Barbara Hudnall: $25
In memory of David Cecil by Mark and Letha Cecil: $25
In memory of my grandchildren, Scott York and Leslie York by grandparents, Opal and Ray York: $25
Happy birthday Cindy 12-04-53-04-03-06 Love you, Mom: $20
In memory of "Little Keithy": $10
Total as of Dec. 9: $45,963.08
