Mentor Fire Donates Food, Cash To Local Needy

MENTOR, OH — The Mentor Fire Department and dispatch teams donated more than 50 pounds of non-perishable foods and $5,540 in cash to to the needy this holiday season. Donations were collected at Great Lakes Mall on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

“The support we’ve received is amazing. Every year, we have people from the different stations, dispatch and administration help out with the drive which is kind of unusual when you come to think about it,” said Fire Lieutenant Michael Smith, “When we started out, it was just the two of us and now it’s great to see how many people get involved.”

Smith and firefighter and paramedic Dominic Vivolo have been involved in the program since its inception. The donation drive is now in its 24th year and has grown significantly since it launched.

The donations were given to the Salvation Army Painesville Corp. this year.

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“We wanted to keep it local because we know there are needy families in Mentor. When we found out that Salvation Army donations stay local, we decided that this is where we wanted all our donations to go,” said Vivolo.

“The Salvation Army makes every single penny count,” added Smith.

PHOTO CAPTION: Mentor Firefighter/Paramedic Dominic Vivolo (left) and Lieutenant Michael Smith (right) presented Salvation Army Major Bender (center) with a check for $5,540.00 raised at this year’s Rescue the Needy Food Drive.

Photo from City of Mentor