It Takes a Village

Safety City--

I’ve always been told that it takes a village to raise a child. Today at Safety City that was abundantly clear. Gainesville’s finest-- the Fire/Rescue, Police, Public Works and countless agencies put on a fantastic event. Upon arrival we were greeted by the smiling faces of Jovon from Let’s Go and Parents Helping Parents in Florida and Margie Garlin from CARD. Parents were given Autism Safety kits that included door alarms, stop signs, seat belt notices, and more from CARD.

The children played together, ran and spun in circles, and created some really amazing artwork. The nearly twenty children were given the treat of learning about firemen, their trucks, and their equipment. Beautiful smiles and sparkly eyes looked down on us parents from in the fire trucks. As a special needs parent you often wonder if your child will ever be able to participate in activities that put them out of their comfort zone. Today I saw tears forming in parents’ eyes and sheer proudness shining on their faces as they watched their children climb the tall fire engines steps, touch the truck, or give a firefighter a high five. Many thanks to the three firemen and Krista Ott for offering up such a sensory friendly experience.

Next, Gainesville Police Officers Ernest and Nicole came in their vehicles bringing oodles of patience, stickers, and a stuffed friend for every child. The officers talked about what keeps them safe while they are protecting us, and how the kids can let them know if they need help. The kids took turns sliding through the cars, “driving” to the scene, and checking out how the radios worked. Many of the kids found their voices and energetically asked questions about how things worked and what the officers do.

The day ended with Dekova Batey of Gainesville Public Works teaching the kids road and bike safety. The kids listened aptly as he told about Lucky the Egg and his demise from not wearing his helmet while riding his bike one day. The children learned hand signals and enthusiastically used them the rest of the time while riding bikes and scooters through Safety City. Many, many, many thanks for the bike helmets each of the children received. Numerous of the helmets were seen still on heads as little bodies were locked into their car seats.

This day couldn’t have happened without all the encouragement and help that the parents gave each other today. You all amazed me and showed me the wondrous sense of family and community that we offer each other. The more we work together, the larger our village is becoming and the more families we can reach. It was amazing to work together. I cannot wait for the next date we can get together to celebrate our children’s differences and absolute perfect gifts.