A North Side grad's Linking Hearts keeps Fort Worth families supplied

Natalie Martinez, a North Side High graduate, runs Linking Hearts to cover basics for Fort Worth's Northside families. The Fort Worth Report's 52 Faces series reported on October 11, 2026, that the group works year-round: backpacks and clothing, and at times prom dresses, suits, or athletic uniforms she has paid for herself. At this year's back-to-school event at Northside Community Center, the group handed out 375 backpacks, plus free uniforms and undergarments.

Martinez said she does not ask for a family's annual income. If someone needs help and she has the means, they get it. She told the paper a childhood Christmas when her own family could not qualify for aid in time is part of why. Counselors and neighbors flag families, and she also hears about needs through social media and word of mouth.