Helping kids in need

Can one person make a difference?

Hood County Children’s Charity Fund began when one person decided to make a difference in the lives of students in need. On a cold, wintry day in 1984, a local real estate agent noticed several kids at a bus stop without coats. Wanting to help, she and her colleagues raised $1,000 in a single day to provide coats for the kids. They soon discovered that there were several other unmet needs among students within the school district.

From that single act of kindness, HCCCF was founded. “Our mission began with providing new coats and has expanded to bridge the gap wherever families have an immediate need,” says the president of HCCCF’s board of directors, Kylee Peterson.

“Our mission began with providing new coats and has expanded to bridge the gap wherever families have an immediate need.”

— Kylee Peterson, president of the board of directors, HCCCF

While HCCCF has grown over the years, providing new clothing to school children remains a focus. HCCCF’s Heavenly Closets are located on every school campus in Hood County. When a teacher identifies a student in need, the student can get new clothing and shoes directly from one of the closets

HCCCF also hosts four clothes-shopping days in coordination with the local Walmart. Over 200 qualifying families are given a budget to shop for brand-new clothes. Walmart graciously marks down the clothes, and HCCCF picks up the bill. In preparation for the 2022-23 school year, 650 students were given the opportunity to shop, and hundreds more accessed the Heavenly Closets during the first week of school.

“HCCCF has done so much good in our community. We’re proud to support their mission so no child goes without clothing or the care they need.”

— Bret Deason, vice president, Texas Classic Insurance Agency

HCCCF also provides scholarships for graduating high school seniors to attend trade school, and they provide financial assistance to help parents meet other immediate needs of a child. If a family falls on hard times or experiences an unexpected need, HCCCF is ready to step in, such as when they paid for car repairs for a family whose child needed to be taken to Fort Worth for cancer treatment, or when they paid for surgery to save a child’s eyesight after suffering a traumatic injury.

Committed to their community

Pam Fuller was one of several Texas Classic Insurance staff members who volunteered at an HCCCF Back to School clothes-shopping event at Walmart in 2021.

Texas Classic Insurance Agency has been involved with HCCCF since 2014. The majority of Texas Classic employees volunteer with the organization, and the agency’s vice president, Bret Deason, serves on HCCCF’s board. “HCCCF has done so much good in our community,” says Bret. “We’re proud to support their mission so no child goes without clothing or the care they need.”

 Agency staff volunteer regularly at HCCCF Back to School shopping events. Texas Classic staff also help organize and sponsor an annual country music concert and fundraiser, Pickin’ in the Pasture. Through concert ticket sales and silent and live auctions, they were able to raise $45,000 for HCCCF.

Extending their reach to help more kids

A Make More Happen Award would help fund a new Heavenly Closet at an additional school campus in Hood County, Texas, expanding access to new clothes for more students. Funds would also be allocated for the emergency relief fund, used to assist families with emergency needs.

A shaded stage awaits musicians at the Pickin’ in the Pasture fundraiser, sponsored by Texas Classic to benefit HCCCF.

Help Texas Classic Insurance win $10,000 for HCCCF by cheering them on with a vote!

If your agency volunteers with a 501(c)3 nonprofit, learn how you can win a Make More Happen Award here.