Mayor's Minute: December 2020

One of the great rewards of being mayor is to hear from so many residents praising our first responders — police, fire and EMS — for the great work they do and the many lives they touch throughout our city every year.

In response, I am often asked, “What can I do, personally, to thank our first responders?”

First, I share your many emails with our first responders and for them, that is thanks enough. Their typical response is, “That is our job and we love it!”

Some of you want to do more so here are three ideas you can consider to show your appreciation.

The Mouron Family Foundation was established by Mountain Brook residents Mike and Cathy Mouron — and envisioned by son Christopher — to provide college scholarships of up to $1,500 per semester for City of Mountain Brook first responders’ children. One hundred percent of donations go directly to scholarships, meaning that no funds are siphoned off for expenses, which is unusual in the charity world. The foundation, which began giving scholarships in 2018, has now given over $100,000 to help pay for college expenses. Recent recipients include Layne Loggins, a junior in nursing school at UAB (Police Captain, Jaye Loggins) and Cole Wooten, who is an electrical engineering major at UAB (Fire Battalion Chief, Tim Wooten).

If you have children, you know that when someone reaches out and helps your child, they touch a special place in your heart. If you’d like to learn more about the Mouron Family Foundation, call or email Christy Belcher 205-949-2064 or cbelcher@cremail.com.

I do not know why but when many of you think of how to thank our first responders, you think of food! Maybe it is because we have so many great cooks among you. Yes, they love home-cooked food but because they run 24/7 shifts, some first responders are left out. A great idea, that is much appreciated, is gift cards to one of our local restaurants or Village Gold which can be used at many of our restaurants.

Finally, and this one will not cost you a dime, when you cross paths with one of our first responders, take a moment to thank them for their service or give them a wave as they drive by. A friendly smile and kind words of acknowledgment are always appreciated. If we all did this, imagine how supported they would feel.