A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Newport Firefighters Local 45 report 2018 successful community service projects for families and children


The Firefighters of Local 45 place great importance on community involvement, embracing a mission to develop and implement programs to empower and improve the quality of life for families and individuals within its communities and to advance the education of youth.

Local 45’s Community Outreach Program has grown immensely in the last three years and plan to keep growing even stronger and giving back more with the support of the businesses and individuals in our local communities.

Photos from Local 45’s Facebook page

The group shared their hightlights:
 
Power Pack Food Drive (February & August)
– We jumped on board with the schools in 2018 to assist them with this program. We were able to raise approximately $12,000 in food and supplies for our local schools. Local 45 in partnership with Kroger Marketplace (Newport) and the local community members helped ensure our children have the fuel and energy to have a successful school year. “Power Packs” provide children in the school with food that can be easily prepared to eat for the weekend and holidays. These children may otherwise go hungry until they return to school.
 
Annual High School Scholarships (May)
– This program was implemented in 2005. Local 45 awards two $1,000 scholarships/grant-in-aid to one (1) graduating senior from Newport High School and to one (1) graduating senior from Newport Central Catholic High School annually to assist with their post-secondary education. Local 45 has awarded $26,000 in scholarships to local graduates within our community.
 
Operation Warm Coat Drive (December) – 2018 was the first year for the coat drive and we had such an overwhelming positive response. We collected over 220 coats (approximately $4,500 in value) for our local children. Operation Warm provides warmth, confidence, and hope to children in need in our community through the gift of brand-new coats. These coats get distributed to the children in our local schools in December. Over 50% of the children attending these schools, walk to and from school each day.

Gift wrapping for Santa delivery.

 
Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) “Fill The Boot” (December)
– The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is the largest national sponsor of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). In an effort to do our part, Local 45 also started raising funds for the research efforts of MDA to eradicate 40 neuromuscular diseases. Our contributions also go towards MDA’s summer camps for children, professional and public health education, and other programs within the MDA. In three years of fundraising for the MDA, Local 45 has donated approximately $6,500.

Beyond the Call (December)
– This is our most famous and longest-running program with its inception in 1993. “Beyond the Call” focuses on providing a special Christmas experience for some of our less fortunate local families. On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus, riding on a fire truck, delivers food and gifts to these families. This program has now assisted 429 children of 106 different families within the City of Newport, allocating more than $53,000 of food and gifts.
 
Throughout the rest of the year outside of their firefighter duties and fundraising efforts, the firefighters are out contributing and assisting other organizations in the community that share in the same vision and mission as Local 45.


-Engineer Audrey Owczarzak, Firefighters of Local 45


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