Page 49 - FOP Magazine March 2019

New Supplemental Health Plan!
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Accidental Death & Dismemberment: $5,000
Excess Medical Expense: $10,000 with a $100 Deductible
Daily Emergency Visits and Urgent Care Centers: $500 (Primary) up to 10x year. Pays in addition to other Insurance.
Hospital Fixed Indemnity Insurance: $500 per day for days 1-3 Hospital Confinement Critical Illness Insurance: $25,000 Guaranteed Issue, $2,500 First Year benefit
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Individual: $60/month Individual Plus 1: $95/month Family: $105/month
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iersi o disa a h isric ceeraio
■ BY ERIKA WURST
The banging of African drums, the tra- ditional dance of a Chinese dragon, Mardi Gras munchies and a Cinco de Mayo cele- bration are among the holiday happenings that will take center stage throughout this year in the 5th District.
The food, fun, heritage, history and culture will be part of monthly festivities aimed at bringing officers together with the residents who support them.
“We’ve had some tragedies that have taken place here in the 5th,” said 19-year veteran Officer Michele Millison. “A lot of community entities wanted to get involved with fellowship for our officers, but we got so overwhelmed with the response.”
corporate and instill camaraderie with the officers and the community,” Millison said. “The only way to do that is to let the com- munity come in and educate us and infil- trate us with their ideas so we can better understand them.”
Within the 5th District, there are a vast number of ethnicities, religions and cul- tures represented among the officers, as well as the residents they protect. As each month brings a new reason to celebrate, of- ficers are excited to share with others who they are and where they come from. Many will get a chance to do just that.
Millison said the monthly events will be dictated by the calendar and events or holidays occurring during that month. February was Black History Month, which inspired an event with refreshments, fun, music, dance, history and socialization. The public filled a room adorned with art that represented African-American culture. There were drummers, dancers and chil- dren portraying historical African-Ameri- can figures.
In January, Chinese culture was at the forefront as guests dined on delicious Chi- nese cuisine, watched traditional dances and immersed themselves in something new. It was another example of how the community helped share with officers, as
well as their neighbors, insights into what makes their specific heritage unique.
“We invite them to educate us with their background and show us their rituals, mu- sic and food,” Millison said. “We are using this as a bridge to help strengthen and build camaraderie among the officers and the community.”
She also said it hasn’t been difficult find- ing people who want to share and celebrate their culture with others as part of the dis- trict’s diversity initiative.
“We’ve gotten a lot of participation, and there’s always a lot of anticipation for the next event,” Millison said. “Word of mouth has really taken this initiative throughout the community.”
Store owners, community groups, churches — all representing different eth- nicities and cultures — came out of the woodwork with well wishes and a desire
c
e to connect with officers. As the requests
poured in, Millison had to find a way for g the district to accommodate them. That’s when a brilliant idea was born. She would hold a monthly diversity event for the of- ficers and the community in an effort to e bridge gaps, create unity and provide out-
a
. t
reach.
“We’ve been trying to develop and in-
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MARCH 2019 49