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Fort Dodge, IA |
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The Fort Dodge Guardian Angels
Pictured outside of the "Citizens Central" building after attending an "National Night Out" meeting are
(left to right) Senator Daryl Beall , Guardian Angels Robert & Cindy Hanse , and Jamie Anderson EEO/Human Resources Specialist for the City of Fort Dodge.
The idea of having a Guardian Angels presence or chapter was the brainstorming work of chapter leaders Robert and Cindy Hanse. "I had seen them on the news and on television but never thought they would come to Iowa especially Fort Dodge". Says Robert, "We were well aware that our community is plagued with a lot of issues that need to be addressed, and we were curious if we could find a solution to some of the community's problems."
Robert initially contacted Erick Wong, a Guardian Angel from San Diego, who contacted Curtis Sliwa - the founder of the Guardian Angels. "When Curtis first called me on the telephone I was dumbfounded" says Robert. "Here I was talking to the founder of an International organization who had taken the time out of his busy and hectic life to sit and visit with me". "You don’t find too many leaders or business leaders or C.E.O’s doing that". Robert is going on his first anniversary with The Guardian Angels.
In March of 2007, representatives of The International Alliance of Guardian Angels came to Fort Dodge to visit with Robert & Cindy Hanse and look over the community. The group also met with community leaders including the mayor, city manager, and the acting police chief. In June of 2007 Robert and Cindy met with Charles Clayton who is C.E.O. of AFES (Athletics for Education and Success). AFES works with parents, children, families, and young adults. To offer after-school programs and classes for the youth of the community plus a host of other programs for the community. AFES also offers the Guardian Angels use of their facility for meetings and recruitment purposes.
The goal of the Fort Dodge Chapter is to get more people involved in the community in which they live. "Fort Dodge needs a serious wake up call, we can only turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the problems that plague our community for so long. If we don’t take a stand and do something , it will only get worse " Much Worse! The Fort Dodge chapter of the Guardian Angels and it’s members and leaders plan to take a stand and address these issues by strong recruiting , public speaking, street patrols, and involvement with other community organizations and programs to get individuals to care about their community.
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