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Due to all the negative stories about police, fire and first responders, Doug Hesse wanted to let them know how much they are appreciated.  

In July, Hesse wrote in Next Door Neighbor, 

“The next time I am in  a restaurant and see a law enforcement officer, I am going to anonymously buy their lunch or dinner. This is my way of thanking them.”  He didn’t ask for any response, but received 103 positive comments back.

That set a plan in motion. Hesse put together a committee of 25 people and they met at Bank South to discuss what more could be done. The original idea was to have a drive in lunch in the parking lot of a local church, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, that was ruled out. The next idea for a family picnic was also  not viable due to too many people  gathering in one place. Then it was suggested that they have a  fundraiser and give gift cards for  all 235 public safety officers in Greene County.

“We decided to buy each one of the  officers a gift card for a local restaurant,” said Hesse. “There were two $50 gift certificates in each thank-you packet. This helped the restaurants too. We needed to raise $23,500 to accomplish our goal. When we started purchasing certificates, all the restaurants also donated free gift certificates for us to give away.”

The participating restaurants included Chic-fil-A, Café 44, DaCorrado, Filet, Amici, Dairy Queen and Yesterday Café.

These dedicated men and women were deeply touched and appreciated. Many of them had tears in their eyes.  One of the 911 operators said she wanted to hug us, but unfortunately she could not. The 911 operators were especially touched since nobody ever sees them. But, they are always on duty when there is an emergency.  One fireman commented that it was such a great idea and the only thing had received before was some leftover cookies.

It has been a wonderful success.  

“Thus far, we have taken pictures of 140 of these public safety officers. Some of the volunteer firemen still need to honored. We should finish pictures taking within the next month.”

“If we raise more than our goal, we will use that extra money to buy needed items like bulletproof vests that the county can’t afford to buy,” he said. 

To donate to this wonderful cause, there are two options. Bank South has an account  called, “Home Town Heroes.” Go through the drive-thru lanes and give them any amount. They will credit it for you. This donation is not tax deductible. 

However, there is another option. Make a check payable to Mansfield Cares, which is a local 501C3 charity, and is tax-deductible. Mail that check to Mike Davino at 1271 Dejarnet Place and receive a tax deduction. 

So far, donations have ranged from $10 to $1,000.  

One heartwarming  gift came from a young man who works at the Reynolds golf course. He handed the group a $10 and said he had just graduated from Gatewood High school and wanted to help. 

“Our wonderful community has come together to show our appreciation for these folks who are protecting us in Greene County. Our next step is to start a similar project in Putnam County. God Bless America and for the freedom to help the residents of the lake country,” said Hesse.