LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — Community leaders gathered Thursday for the Allen County Democratic Party’s Lunch and Learn event with a focus on keeping children safe at home.
The director of development for Prevention Awareness Support Services, better known as PASS, spoke to attendees about the organization’s efforts to reduce access to dangerous items such as firearms and medications through its “Store It Safe” initiative.
PASS works alongside the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Allen, Auglaize, and Hardin counties and several other organizations across an 11-county region to provide education and resources to families.
The “Store It Safe” initiative encourages adults to create barriers between children and potentially harmful items. Lima was designated a “Store It Safe” community last fall, allowing local families to receive free safety supplies, including lock boxes.
“We have been fortunate to have gained resources to provide lock boxes free of charge to Allen County parents, to grandparents, to foster parents, to all of our families, those with or without kids that have children in their home to make sure that they aren't finding those hiding places that we know they can find,” said Donna Dickman, director of development for PASS.
Residents can pick up free lock boxes during office hours at the PASS office located at 529 S. Elizabeth St. Dickman said speaking to community groups and organizations is an important part of the effort because the information shared can help save lives.
