ENDORSEMENTS

My name is Debbie Rima, and I am the President of GLOWS Community Lighthouse (“GLOWS”), an organization that works with the unhoused, providing emergency shelter during extreme weather, feeding weekly meals, and working with other organizations to provide services to those in need. When I first took over running the GLOWS operation in 2017, we were really struggling. We had no money, no volunteers, no idea what we were doing. We just knew there were human beings out there who were hungry and needed life-saving shelter during periods of extreme weather Then, I was introduced to City Councilwoman, Deborah Snyder Morris. Deborah took me under her wing. She provided valuable connections with people much more knowledgeable than I am to assist with getting our organization up and running, and she gave me the guidance and suggestions I needed to make our mission succeed. Deborah was passionate about our work because while she has a love for all of Garland’s people, she had a special place in her heart for those who have met with misfortunes and who just need a hand up. But Deborah also helped us understand there must be balance between helping those on the street, while also respecting the needs and rights of the taxpayers of Garland. As a Garland City Councilwoman, Deborah’s strength and leadership were never more prevalent than during the big storm of February 2021. While the entire City was struggling with power outages, record low temperatures, ice/snow and shortages of all kinds, Deborah continued to keep the lines of communication open with me as we took in, housed and fed approximately 135 people from the streets over an 11-night period. I doubt Deborah got much sleep over that long period, but she always answered my calls and listened to our needs. If she could help with services, she did. If she was not able to offer City services, she would suggest alternate ideas. There was no doubt Deborah was doing the same for every other Garland citizen contacting her for help. She was an amazing leader who truly helped her constituents get through this particularly trying time. Deborah Snyder Morris has a real love for Garland and its citizens. She makes herself available to any Garland resident who has a question, complaint, or problem via all forms of communication, including phone, email, social media and an open-door policy. Deborah works tirelessly to be the voice of Garland’s citizens and to represent our best interests when she is participating in the decisions that help improve our beautiful City. I was very excited to learn Deborah Snyder Morris planned to run for mayor of Garland. I cannot think of a better leader for our great City and one who will continue to be very dedicated to making Garland one of the top cities in which to live and work.