GARY | Gwen Robinson is a community activist looking for a little help, not for herself, but for fire stations in the City of Gary.

"I found out that some 13 fire stations in Gary are without the average comforts of day-to-day living, despite housing men and women who are on 24/7 alert and come to our ad in crises," said Robinson, who has responded by funding a donation drive for the Gary Fire Department.

She spoke with Fire Chief Jeff Ward and came up with a list of needs, including 12 washing machines and clothes dryers, 2 recliner chairs, 10 sofas, a dining room set, five televisions, for kitchen chair sets, five sets of pots and pans, cups and silverware for two stations and four sets of window blinds.

"These are simple things, but they don't have them," Robinson said. "We can show our appreciation for the work these firefighters do by contributing something to help them out."

Cash donations to purchase the needed supplies are also welcome. Checks should be made payable to the Gary Fire Department and sent to the City of Gary Fire Department, Attn: Fire Chief Jeffrey Ward, 200 E. 5th Ave., Gary, IN 46402-1309.

To arrange a pickup for donations, call (219) 881-5252.

For more infomation about the drive, call Robinson at (219) 201-9770.

- The Times