I went out to breakfast this morning and came home to four coats, 20 deodorants, and 60 toothpaste kits, all for our fifth graders in the Hilltop!
Thank you to Sharon Burrows and Mary O'Ryan Fairchild for these great gifts.
These items are in addition to the 60 bookbags Kim Roe - State Farm Agent delivered earlier this week and the 60 notebooks and 150 pencils sent over by Arnon Reichers. Snacks are also on the way!
Each child will receive one of the dental kits. The deodorant, along with other personal care items, will be put in the office for teachers and staff to dole out as needed. We'll go shopping for those items tomorrow, thanks to the very generous monetary donations we received yesterday.
Thank you all for making this possible. There are so many people who have donated and helped to plan this and make it happen. I am overwhelmed and humbled by your generosity.
Our next Pizza Patrol luncheon will most likely be on the South Side. Columbus Division of Police Sgt James Fuqua and 13th Precinct Community Liaison Officer Timothy Mounts are working to get it scheduled as soon as possible.
Ofc Mounts is a 28-year veteran of CPD. He has worked in narcotics, homicide, and was a member of the SWAT team. (Believe me, my jaw dropped when I heard all of that!) He recently transferred to the 13th Precinct to work as their Community Liaison Officer, and he's clearly passionate about wanting to make a difference.
Sgt Fuqua is a Diversity and Inclusion Liaison for CPD, in addition to his regular duties as a shift sergeant on the South Side. He grew up in the area he patrols. When he was 12, the very day he moved there with his family, he witnessed a murder. He grew up hating cops, engaging in petty crimes himself, and enduring the suicide of his father due to mental health struggles. I spoke with him for over an hour on Thursday, and I'm going back to do a ride along with one of his officers next Saturday. Sgt Fuqua is uniquely positioned to speak about the challenges presented by the neighborhood, and he's already agreed to speak at the next Pizza Patrol luncheon. I think his message will resonate with many of the kids there.
