Groups plan first responders banquet

Community members are planning an appreciation banquet Jan. 22 for Lorain first responders.

The banquet is organized in collaboration between the South Side Block Watch and One Neighborhood Engagement with the help of grant funding from the Community Foundation of Lorain County.

From 6-8:30 p.m., Lorain first responders from the Lorain Police Department, Lorain Fire Department and LifeCare Ambulance Service will be welcomed to St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Catholic Parish at 2143 Homewood Drive to a potluck banquet so the community can express gratitude to them for what they do.

Jovi Rolon, a committee member with One Neighborhood Engagement, first came up with the idea at a recent meeting.

“We were promoting One Neighborhood Block Watch,” Rolon said. “I was thinking and meditating because there was not a lot of people at that time. And I said, why not do a first responders recognition banquet? Because I’ve never heard of it from Lorain that they’ve done this before. I appreciate the job done by not only the police by the fire department and EMS and they don’t always get recognized.”

Rolon has aspirations of a career in law enforcement and said he wanted to show support to all first responders in the wake of the national discussion about police brutality.

“We just want to support the community by including the police officers and law enforcement,” Rolon said. “When you have a problem you always call the police. When we have a health problem we go to EMS. When your house catches on fire we call the fire department.”

Martin Leibas of One

Neighborhood Engagement and El Centro said honoring first responders is a broader initiative that aims to help the community to get know each other better. The banquet will be the third program run with One Community Engagement.

“And I think for the group that we have here, the one program the Community Foundation is committed toward is getting the public together and knowing who’s down the street,” Leibas said. “And we’re trying to get that collaboration with the police as well.”

The event is open to the public and guests are asked to bring a dish to share.

“And I think for the group that we have here, the one program the Community Foundation is committed toward is getting the public together and knowing who’s down the street. And we’re trying to get that collaboration with the police as well.”

— Martin Leibas, One Neighborhood Engagement

KEVIN MARTIN — THE MORNING JOURNAL South Side Block Watch coordinator Leigh McKimmie leads a planning meeting at El Centro on Jan. 9 for an upcoming banquet to show appreciation to Lorain’s first responders on Jan. 22 at Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini Catholic Parish.