“So what we can do now is just have some people come on board and donate,” said Guy Amos Marcelin, CEO of Good Heart Ministry. “We can get enough money to buy black cement and gravel to get things done by July.”
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LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - Area democrats wanted to get into some good trouble with a protest outside a congressman's office.
LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Lima residents tried something new for dinner Saturday night in honor of Haitian Flag Day.
One week after Mayor Sharetta Smith addressed Lima City Council about Haitian immigration, the Neighborhood Concerns Committee met inside Council Chambers to discuss what exactly is the definition of a family. At Monday night's meeting, Lima City Law Director, Tony Geiger, explained that the current definition of family in lima is quote "any number of individuals living together as a single housekeeping unit and doing their own cooking on the premises." Councilors brought forth the problem of people overcrowding in single family homes that first primarily involved college students but now affects the recent influx of Haitian immigrants to Lima with council investigating a possible family definition change. One Haitian immigrant, Amos Mercelin, attended the meeting where he spoke to Your Hometown Stations about his current experiences and why he fled Haiti.
On Monday night at Lima City Council, Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith addressed councilors about the current situation regarding Haitian immigration. According to the mayor's presentation, several county and city agencies are reporting increased demands. The Allen County Job and Family Services have received applications from nearly 550 Haitian people for federal and State of Ohio assistance. The Lima Municipal Court recorded a large increase in the need for Haitian Creole interpreters while Mercy Health St. Rita's reported a 75% increase in the usage of language lines with Haitian Creole being the most requested. Additionally, both the Lima Police and Fire Departments report an increase in overcrowding of single-family occupancy homes and apartments. After council, Mayor Smith shared with Your Hometown Stations about the next steps for the city.
Members of the Haitian community around Lima came together to celebrate their Independence Day. Following mass at Saint Charles, the crowd gathered to enjoy what would be Haiti’s 220th Independence Day.
Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries issued a statement saying that the 12 remaining hostages "are free!" The missionaries were kidnapped by gang members on October 16th. There are five children in the group of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian, including an 8-month-old. Senator Rob Portman who has been urging the state department to do more is happy with the news.
There are a variety of ways to raise money, but 16 year-old Ciera Clevenger thought that a walk-a-thon would be the best way to raise money for hurricane victims in Haiti.