Westside Messenger - November 27th, 2022

PAGE 8 - WESTSIDE MESSENGER - November 27, 2022
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Heartland Bank - Great Western Shopping Center
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Marathon Gas Station - Georgesville & Industrial Rd.
La Plaza Tapatta - Georgesville & Hollywood Rd.
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Westland Library - Lincoln Village Plaza
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Thorton’s Gas Station - 4990 W. Broad St.
Walgreens - Broad St. & Galloway Rd.
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CVS Pharmacy - Norton & Hall Rd.
United Dairy Farmers - Norton & Hall Rd.
Circle K Gas Station - Norton & Hall Rd.
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Marathon Gas Station - Broad St. & Murray Hill Rd.
Speedway Gas Station - Broad St. & Murray Hill Rd.
Dollar Tree - Broad St. & Murray Hill Rd.
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Franklin Township Business Office - 2193 Frank Rd.
READ US ONLINE: www.columbusmessenger.com
Dave Dobos
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
WE
WON!
That—and a healthy dose of disbelief—were
my initial exhilarating thoughts as the vote totals
became final on Election Night when you
selected me to be your choice for the Ohio
House of Representatives 10th District! The
20,000+ doors we knocked, the 500+ yard
signs placed in front of voters’ homes, the
countless time spent at public events, parades,
and candidates’ forums all contributed
to, what for me appeared to be, a stunning
victory.
To each of you who answered a door, who allowed
me or a campaign volunteer to interrupt
your day, I thank you! To each of you who
voted—whether for me or my opponent—I
say thank you! This entire process is distinctly
American and, win or lose, emphasizes the
blessings we all enjoy here in the United
States.
Now…the real work begins. During the campaign,
I promised to concentrate on the quality-of-life
issues about which we all care:
economic growth, workforce development,
and excellent academic education for our children.
In the weeks since, I have begun preparing
for the tasks ahead. I have (and will
continue to) meet with community leaders
and members to help me understand issues
and priorities. I have attended the new Ohio
House member orientation to help me begin
to learn systems, processes, and supports that
exist within our legislative organizational
structure. I have met with House leadership
to communicate how my experiences can
translate into committee assignments that
emphasize my strengths. And I am hiring a
legislative aide who will help me be as responsive
as possible to constituent requests and
get prepared for the daily work required. I
want to hit the ground running—to the degree
it is possible—when I am sworn in on
January 3rd.
I will report to you regularly via this column
about the work my colleagues and I do in the
legislature. I will write about the legislative
process and my experiences inside it. My intent
here is to be informative and helpful, not
partisan. When I am sworn in, I will publish
my office contact information. I invite you to
reach out anytime to me about any concern,
point of view, or request.
It is an awesome responsibility with which
you have entrusted me. It is a privilege to
serve you in this capacity and to be in a position
to make a difference for each of us. I
promise to do my best to represent our communities
in a responsible, responsive, and effective
manner and to advocate for all of us in
the Ohio House of Representatives.
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Sending holiday cheer to inmates
Although Christmas is supposed to be a festive time of joy and
hope spent with loved ones, for tens of thousands of prison
inmates in Ohio, Christmas is just is another day behind bars.
One central Ohio group believes it doesn’t have to be that way.
A local non-profit movement continues to make a positive
impact on the lives of Ohio’s prison inmate population each year
by sending them personalized, handwritten Christmas cards that
encourage them to “Continue the Story.”
Over the past several years, central Ohio’s “Continue the
Story” movement has personally reached more than 64,700
inmates incarcerated in Ohio’s prison system at Christmastime,
one inmate at a time, in hopes of brightening their lives by spreading
the Christmas spirit, which is one of joy and hope.
Although it is rapidly growing with hundreds of volunteers
throughout the Columbus area, “Continue the Story” was created
six years ago after members of the organization became aware of
some of the horrors of the modern criminal justice system.
Organizers believe a lot of the people who are incarcerated today
are essentially good people who have made mistakes
“I believe every single person is worthy of hope and encouragement
- no matter their past, no matter their story,” said Jess
Kimmel, executive director of the non-profit organization,
Continue the Story. “I participate because I’ve seen firsthand
what that love and support can do. Ohio inmates often feel isolated
and unsupported as they work through their sentence toward
reformation.”
Of the estimated 45,000 to 43,000 inmates in Ohio’s prison system,
some studies suggest up to 6 percent of them are actually
wrongly accused or falsely convicted. Other studies say at least
two thirds of today’s prison inmate population are people behind
bars because of substance use disorders.
This year, organizers of the movement plan to send out more
than 22,000 personalized cards, which is nearly half of Ohio’s
prison inmate population. To pay for the cards, however, fundraisers
are currently under way and they are taking donations.
“Receiving a Christmas card from ‘The Drop’ with a prayer,
some scripture, words of hope or even a silly joke helps to brighten
the inmate’s day and shape a new perspective about how their
story doesn’t have to end in a prison cell,” Kimmel said.
“Regardless of our past, we all have the ability to write a future
that can change the world,” said Mic Mohler one of the movement’s
organizers. “Yes, they made mistakes. We all make mistakes.
However, we believe everyone deserves love and Christmas
joy, and we are dedicated to sending out cards every year to
express that.”
Each year, organizers start another drive to raise the money
necessary to send out all those Christmas cards. Last year, they
sent out 21,000 cards. The cost for postage and material exceeded
$15,000 last year – all of which came from generous donations
from area churches and members of the community, as more and
more people learn about the mass mailing and the impact it has
on the inmates.
Mohler said that getting personalized mail in places like that is
a big deal for inmates, especially during the holidays. Unlike typical
mass mailings, in which every card is the same, each
Christmas card they send has the inmate’s name and number
handwritten on the card with unique and personal messages of
hope written by one of the volunteers.
Because each card is personally mailed out the week before
Christmas, more than 1,000 area residents and community leaders
volunteer their time to participate in the event. Some members
of the group help raise money, others fill out the handwritten
cards, and others help coordinate the actual mailing, which everyone
notoriously refers to simply as, “the Drop.”
One day, organizers say, they hope to send cards to 100 percent
of the inmates in Ohio’s prison system because they believe no one
should be left out for Christmas. To make this possible, nevertheless,
organizers hope to continue getting the word out as they
believe even the harshest convict deserves to hear their messages
of hope, which is the true reason for the holiday season.
For more information on Continue the Story, to donate, or to
participate in this year’s drop on Dec. 16, go to
continuethestory.org.