October 17 was the National Night Out Against Crime celebration.

At the Peace Center, we brought neighbors, officers and city leaders together for fun and good food.

This year the weather decided to turn chilly at night so some came for just a short time and others left early. Councilwoman Leslie Harris joined us for a time and met lots of the neighbors before leaving to attend other celebrations in her district.

Neighbors helped us set up the space, brought food for sharing, used their talents as chefs and servers, and stayed to help clean up at the end. One of our neighbors did not know what kind of food to bring so she brought a jar of her marigolds as a centerpiece.

Chaplain Joe from the Second District Police Station represented the officers and spent lots of time with the neighbors.

Through a grant from Common Spirit formerly Catholic Health Initiatives and our new partner Together Gert Town, we provided the main course and condiments, the drinks, a glow-in-the-dark football, and other essentials. We are all looking forward to next year’s celebration.