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Ohio firefighters create charity to help structure fire victims

Lorain firefighters have established a nonprofit organization to support individuals who have been displaced by fire

By Martin McConnell
The Morning Journal

LORAIN, Ohio — Lorain Fire Department Shift Capt. Ryan Bowers and fellow firefighter Brennan Muhic want to do even more for the community than they already do.

The pair is giving back through their new nonprofit which offers hope to some displaced by a fire.

In April, the firefighters formed All Call Charities to help Lorain residents, Bowers said.

While not on their shift at the fire station, they are at work raising funds and getting the word out about their nonprofit, he said.

The mission of All Call Charities is to provide Lorainites with funding and resources after structure fire damages, Bowers said.

"(We) assist post-fire by giving gift cards from local companies for food, clothing, etc. to those whose belongings were destroyed in a fire,” he said. “Gift card amounts will be determined by number of people involved, extent of damage from the fire, and funds available.”

Bowers said that while he and Muhic had a clear vision for All Call Charities, they needed some help on the logistical side of things.

Turtle Plastics, 7400 Industrial Parkway Drive in Lorain, was more than willing to help, Bowers said.

“It took us about a year to get everything together,” he said. “You have to have a board of directors; you have to have all these things that we had no clue about, so we had to build that up from the ground.

“Turtle Plastics, which is a company out in Lorain, gave us $5,000, just to get it started.”

The mission of All Call Charities not only helps families rebuild after structure fires, but helps to keep the local business ecosystem strong, Bowers said.

The charity has been able to help families with vouchers to local businesses, and has helped to anonymously support a few of those businesses.

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“It just kind of keeps everything local, and we have some (smaller) missions,” Bowers said. “There’s a boxing club in Lorain.

“We were able to donate some money to them and help them out. We’ve donated to a couple of funeral services for some first responders in the city of Lorain, just anonymously, to help them out.”

Structure fires are a disproportionately large problem in Lorain, due in part to a lack of knowledge, Bowers said.

While some fires are unable to be prevented, he said All Call Charities is doing its part to make fatal fires completely preventable.

The charity’s work has extended to fire prevention education, especially among school-age children, Bowers said.

"(We want to) provide schools with contributions to purchase school supplies and educational materials to improve the educational experience for the students,” he said. "(We can also) deliver education to the residents regarding fire safety, hazard mitigation and disaster prevention.”

Bowers said that within a year of joining the Lorain Fire Department, he had fallen in love with the city.

He said he and Muhic want to give back in any way they can, and they are thankful to the community for their help in getting All Call Charities off the ground.

“We’ve been official for about five or six months,” Bowers said. “So far, we’ve been able to give something to someone for any real structure fire where there was loss, except for one.

“We’re going to try to start doing fundraising, and I’d love to get these coffers full, so we can just give back to the residents.”

The charity’s website, www.allcallcharities.org, is in its infancy, Bowers said.

More information on All Call Charities can be found at the nonprofit’s Facebook page, All Call Charities.

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