A charitable act, during the Christmas of 1957, is what sparked the Harrison Mayor’s Community Fund, which today provides great support for residents.

Harrison Township Trustee Fred Dole and Harrison’s Mayor-Elect Clyde (Brocky) Small were enjoying after-work drinks at the Mecca Cafe.

“This fella came in with a turkey and asked if anybody wanted it – that he couldn’t use it,” Dole had said. “I knew two families who were having a pretty rough time. So we took up a collection and decided to cut the turkey in half and give something to each one of them.”

The next year, Small created the “Harrison Mayor’s Welfare Committee” to provide Thanksgiving dinners for families. Coal was also purchased for two families along with clothes. Now called the Harrison Mayor’s Community Fund, the program has continued to grow into a year round program providing assistance to people of Harrison in their time of need.