On Tuesday, December 16th, participants from the Rochester Police Department’s Project Good Morning (PGM) program met at Granite Steak and Grill for their annual holiday breakfast, which has been generously donated and prepared by Granite Steak and Grill for the past few years. Thank you, Patrick Gagnon!

Communication Specialists (dispatchers) from the Police/Fire/EMS Department organize the event and gather small gifts to exchange with the PGM members. Communications staff and PGM participants meet to eat, share stories, and enjoy a few laughs together so the PGM members can put a face to the friendly voices they hear on the phone every morning.

Established in 1995, Project Good Morning was designed to assist senior citizens in the community who live alone and wish to maintain an independent lifestyle. PGM members and their families are provided with the security of knowing that there is a daily contact source checking in.

To be eligible for the Project Good Morning program, participants must be residents of the City of Rochester and complete an application. Once an application has been submitted, it is forwarded to the project coordinator, who then contacts the applicant to explain the program. After acceptance into the program, members check in daily with a communications specialist by calling the Police Department between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. If a member does not make contact by 10:00 a.m., a communications specialist (dispatcher) will attempt to reach them. If the specialist is unsuccessful, a patrol unit and/or other emergency personnel will be sent to the member’s address to conduct a welfare check and ensure there are no life-safety issues.

To learn more about the program, please contact the Rochester Police Department (in person at 23 Wakefield St, by phone at 603-330-7128, or online).