First Posted: 2/25/2015
LIMA — Lima/Allen Council on Community Affairs could not do its work in the community without the support of the community.
That was the message sent by LACCA community services block grant and IT coordinator Steve Gilroy as he presented seven Stepping Stone to Success Awards to businesses and individuals during Mayor David Berger’s Wednesday news conference at the Lima Municipal Center.
“LACCA really relies on community support, so the companies that we honored today provide some of that support to the agency, whether it’s through a financial donation, volunteers or products and other donations,” Gilroy said. “The three community members that we honored showed great success in the programs they were involved in.”
Business awards were given to Husky Energy Inc. for its support of Head Start’s “Seal Christmas with Love” campaign, Stolly Insurance Group for its support of emergency services, Activate Allen County for support in the area of health and nutrition, and Auglaize County’s Mercy Unlimited for increasing capacity for community services.
Individuals receiving awards were Margo Svec for her work in the financial literacy program, Sandra Coon for her eight years of volunteering with LACCA, and Melvin Ward for his work with fair housing education.
“I do community outreach, informing the public about the laws and responsibilities of tenants and landlords, because a lot of tenants find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place,” Ward said. “I hold presentations going over fair housing rules and laws.”
After receiving the award, Ward encouraged other people thinking about volunteering to get out and get involved.
“There are a lot of resources available that can be accomodating for work schedules or family situations,” he said. “Contact LACCA. If we can’t help you, we can point you in the right direction.”
