Macomb Township

Macomb Goodfellows, Historical Commission find interested members

By Robert Guttersohn
C & G Staff Writer

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — Two local organizations, one just created in 2012 and the other running out of members, are gaining momentum in 2013.

Macomb Goodfellows, the organization known for providing gifts every Christmas for children raised in poverty, will be meeting within the next two months with people interested in taking over the 60-year-old organization, said Joe Witulski, the secretary for the Macomb chapter. And the newly created Historical Commission, the brainchild of Supervisor Janet Dunn, has recruited potential members and collected artifacts from the township’s history.

“I did have several people that contacted me about the historical commission, and I thank them for that,” Dunn said.

Within January, Dunn hopes to hold an organization meeting to create positions in the commission. People with knowledge of Macomb’s history have also contacted Dunn.

“A lady called and said she had hundreds of photos,” Dunn said.

The ranks of the Goodfellows membership was so deplete that its organizer said 2012 would be the last year of its existence. Because of the lack of volunteers, it was not able to raise enough money to cover the upfront costs of fundraising.

The situation led Macomb Trustee Roger Krzeminski, who also helps the Goodfellows fundraise, to make a plea at the Board of Trustees Nov. 28 meeting for residents to step up.

“I’m announcing tonight the possibility that Macomb Township Goodfellows are not going to be in existence anymore,” he said during the meeting. “This will be the first year that we are not going to be standing on the corners, unless someone stands up and helps us out.”

Since that plea and since several news outlets published articles about the organization’s need for new members, Witulski told the Chronicle that he is meeting with several individuals interested in taking the reins of the Macomb Goodfellows.

“They sound promising,” Witulski said. “It sounds like they’re interested in taking it over, and we’ll help them along until they get going.”

He said there is still enough money in the Goodfellows account for the new members to use as start-up money.

“There’s a good chance it won’t go out completely,” Witulski said. “It would be a shame to see it go under after all these years. It’s time for some new blood.”

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Robert Guttersohn at rguttersohn@candgnews.com or at (586)218-5006.