Goodfellows of Marysville

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Goodfellows once was a well-known local organization in Marysville. It's been part of national network of similar clubs centered around a singular goal of providing emergency assistance to adults and children.  In Marysville, through attrition over the years, Goodfellows has become a one-person Secret Santa of sorts.

When Bill Phillipi learns of a local need, he provides some money, clothing, or other items to help. He says "it's been a labor of love" and will be one of the new funds in the 2025 Pony Up Match Day on May 2."If there's someone in need; Goodfellows tries to help," said Jeff Crist, President of Marysville Community Foundation. The MCF sponsors Pony Up Match Day on the first Friday of each May.  Goodfellows will be one of 61 funds accepting donations from the public starting in 2025.

"Goodfellows is a longtime Marysville mainstay," Phillipi said. When I first moved to Marysville in the early 70's, the police largely led it. They'd fill shoeboxes with oranges, apples, toothbrushes, and toothpaste and gave them to people in need. Phillipi, a highway patrol trooper at the time, sometimes helped the police deliver the boxes. Eventually, local businesspeople took it on. Businessmen Jim Schramm Sr and Ed Wiegers were the last of that generation of Goodfellows. "In those days, when you saw a need, you would call ten of your friends to chip in," he said. 

 As organizers aged out or passed away the funds started to run low. Around 10 years ago, Jim Schramm let Phillipi know that someone needed to carry on the effort. That's when Phillipi stepped in and started distributing aid from the remaining funds.  Donations from two local trusts - the Helvering Trust and the Guise-Weber Foundation helped replenish the Goodfellows fund when needed.  "It progressed from shoeboxes to a basic fund to help those in need," Phillipi said. That included the purchase of mittens and gloves in winter, fans for those without air conditioning in the summer, or Agency on Aging meals.

It's intended to be a hand up not a hand-out. Just a way to help get people through an emergency. Kind of like a Secret Santa. More recently, needs have grown greater, so we decided to make it part of Pony Up Marysville Match Day.