Fort Worth police

Longtime Fort Worth Charity Sidelined After Truck Breaks Down

Metro Fort Worth needs new truck to resume donations to poor

A longtime Fort Worth charity that delivers donations to the poorest neighborhoods has had to suspend operations because its only truck broke down.

For 26 years, Ruth Calzada has run a ministry called Metro, which stands for "Mobile Effort to Reach Our City."

She's brought trailers full of donations to the people who live in the Cavile Place public housing project in the Stop 6 neighborhood.

"Anything from clothing, groceries, school supplies, we give turkeys at Thanksgiving, toys at Christmas," Calzada said. "We adopted over 2,500 kids last year for Christmas."

But since April, Metro hasn't been able to do much of anything.

The old truck that hauls the trailer broke down.

Now, Calzada wants to buy pickup and can't wait to get back in business.

"I can't imagine doing anything else," she said. "It's so fulfilling to just come and see people that most people would stereotype very negatively and I look at them and they're my family. They mean everything to me."

Calzada said she has raised about $11,000 of the $30,000 she needs.

"It's very emotional for me because I feel like I'm letting them down by not being out here," she said. "I feel like we're disappointing them and letting them down."

"Everybody looks forward to Metro. It seems funny they're not coming right now."

Calzada -- the daughter and wife of Fort Worth police officers -- has faith it'll somehow all work out.

"I"m going to roll up here in September with a brand new truck and I'll say, 'Look what the Lord did,'" she said.

A fundraiser is planned Saturday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Park Plaza Office at 2501 Parkview Drive.

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