Community Showing Appreciation To First Responders
December 6, 2022 at 11:43 p.m.
Community Showing Appreciation To First Responders
By David [email protected]
That includes firefighters, police officers, EMTs, etc., who may not always get recognized for the work they do in the community. Now, members of the community are working to show their appreciation to first responders through several ways.
During the Kosciusko County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Lisa Harman, Live Well Kosciusko president and CEO, representing the Community Well-being Committee at Live Well Kosciusko, explained, “A few years ago, we were able to do the Gallup Well-being Survey here in Kosciusko County. As a result of that survey, we have five committees that are working on well-being issues in the community.”
She said the Community Well-being Committee decided to work on a project related to safety and security in the community.
“That committee wanted to make sure that our first responders felt like they were appreciated. So, we started working on an appreciation campaign,” Harman said.
As part of that campaign, students in the county started making art projects that included thank-you cards and showed how much they appreciated law enforcement, fire, EMTs and all of those who work as first responders.
“We have now created billboards across the community, so you may see those that depict students’ artwork that shows the appreciation messages,” Harman said.
There’s also a webpage that includes the students’ artwork, which can be accessed through a QR Code. The website can be found at https://livewellkosciusko.org/kcounty-first.
Additionally, Harman said, there’s an opportunity where anyone in the community can make a thank-you video specifically to first responders.
“One of the things that we found out when we did listening sessions ... was one individual, who indicated they’ve been working in the community for 25 years, in those 25 years had never received a thank-you for what they did. ... We wanted to make sure that they were appreciated,” she said.
In addition, Harman said they also worked on a discount program for first responders in the community. She said Kosciusko Leadership Academy (KLA) cadets did a project to help with that.
Lois Borkholder, on behalf of KLA for last year’s cadets, said her KLA white paper project team decided to take on the task pitched by Harman to show first responders appreciation. Their white paper project was titled K-County First.
“Part of that includes working with local businesses who are willing to offer discounts to our first responders, as a way of showing appreciation,” Borkholder said.
On a lot of their advertising, she said they have QR Codes that allows people in the community to scan that code and choose to frequent those businesses that are participating. in the K-County First project. Also, she hopes it will organically drive some growth to the program.
Ledgeview Brewing Company, Creighton’s Crazy Egg Cafe, Light Rail Cafe, Rocket Fizz and Tippy Creek Winery are among the businesses that have joined the K-County First initiative to offer a discount program to first responders in Kosciusko County, according to a news release provided by Live Well Kosciusko.
Participating businesses will get a decal, and ID cards will be given to first responders in the county that will identify them as being able to get the discount.
“It’s just really, really special to see how the entire community has come together from kindergarteners all the way up to KLA cadets and Live Well Kosciusko is making this a reality,” Borkholder said. “It’s just really, really special to have this privilege of working with our first responders to show our appreciation as well.”
Harman said posters are being distributed to each of the fire departments, law enforcement, offices and EMS so that individuals at those locations can scan the QR Code and look at the information.
Commissioner Cary Groninger thanked them for what they’re doing to show appreciation to the first responders. “I’m in full support of showing appreciation to first responders,” he said.
That includes firefighters, police officers, EMTs, etc., who may not always get recognized for the work they do in the community. Now, members of the community are working to show their appreciation to first responders through several ways.
During the Kosciusko County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Lisa Harman, Live Well Kosciusko president and CEO, representing the Community Well-being Committee at Live Well Kosciusko, explained, “A few years ago, we were able to do the Gallup Well-being Survey here in Kosciusko County. As a result of that survey, we have five committees that are working on well-being issues in the community.”
She said the Community Well-being Committee decided to work on a project related to safety and security in the community.
“That committee wanted to make sure that our first responders felt like they were appreciated. So, we started working on an appreciation campaign,” Harman said.
As part of that campaign, students in the county started making art projects that included thank-you cards and showed how much they appreciated law enforcement, fire, EMTs and all of those who work as first responders.
“We have now created billboards across the community, so you may see those that depict students’ artwork that shows the appreciation messages,” Harman said.
There’s also a webpage that includes the students’ artwork, which can be accessed through a QR Code. The website can be found at https://livewellkosciusko.org/kcounty-first.
Additionally, Harman said, there’s an opportunity where anyone in the community can make a thank-you video specifically to first responders.
“One of the things that we found out when we did listening sessions ... was one individual, who indicated they’ve been working in the community for 25 years, in those 25 years had never received a thank-you for what they did. ... We wanted to make sure that they were appreciated,” she said.
In addition, Harman said they also worked on a discount program for first responders in the community. She said Kosciusko Leadership Academy (KLA) cadets did a project to help with that.
Lois Borkholder, on behalf of KLA for last year’s cadets, said her KLA white paper project team decided to take on the task pitched by Harman to show first responders appreciation. Their white paper project was titled K-County First.
“Part of that includes working with local businesses who are willing to offer discounts to our first responders, as a way of showing appreciation,” Borkholder said.
On a lot of their advertising, she said they have QR Codes that allows people in the community to scan that code and choose to frequent those businesses that are participating. in the K-County First project. Also, she hopes it will organically drive some growth to the program.
Ledgeview Brewing Company, Creighton’s Crazy Egg Cafe, Light Rail Cafe, Rocket Fizz and Tippy Creek Winery are among the businesses that have joined the K-County First initiative to offer a discount program to first responders in Kosciusko County, according to a news release provided by Live Well Kosciusko.
Participating businesses will get a decal, and ID cards will be given to first responders in the county that will identify them as being able to get the discount.
“It’s just really, really special to see how the entire community has come together from kindergarteners all the way up to KLA cadets and Live Well Kosciusko is making this a reality,” Borkholder said. “It’s just really, really special to have this privilege of working with our first responders to show our appreciation as well.”
Harman said posters are being distributed to each of the fire departments, law enforcement, offices and EMS so that individuals at those locations can scan the QR Code and look at the information.
Commissioner Cary Groninger thanked them for what they’re doing to show appreciation to the first responders. “I’m in full support of showing appreciation to first responders,” he said.
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