MILLSBORO, Del. - While many spent Thanksgiving at home with family, dozens of volunteers in Millsboro spent their morning packing hot meals for first responders working the holiday.
The eighth annual Blessings for Badges event brought community members together to assemble Thanksgiving dinners, including turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables and other sides, for first responders across Sussex and Kent counties. The meals were donated by local businesses and delivered to police, fire and EMS stations throughout the day.
Dozens of volunteers in Millsboro spent their morning packing hot meals for first responders working the holiday.
Joe Baumann, the Blessings for Badges treasurer who has volunteered at the event for the past five years, said the effort is rooted in community support. He noted that everyone involved volunteers their time for free. “It's not about money. It's about giving back more than anything else,” he said.
The meals were donated by local businesses and delivered to police, fire and EMS stations throughout the day.
Before volunteers began packing food, a moment of silence was held for Barry Wheatley, the organization’s former vice president and a retired Millsboro Police Department sergeant who passed away earlier this year.
Before volunteers began packing food, a moment of silence was held for Barry Wheatley.
According to Blessings for Badges Secretary Cathy Bassett, the tribute meant a great deal to everyone involved. “This is bittersweet. We're here because of Barry, and we're doing this to honor Barry. And Barry's legacy will live on for the kind of guy he was,” Bassett said.
For those receiving the meals, the gesture did not go unnoticed. John French, who works at the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center in Georgetown, said the support reminds first responders that their work is appreciated. “It's always great that the people outside of here think of us while we're here, helping protect the community and serve them,” French said.
John French, who works at the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center in Georgetown, said the support reminds first responders that their work is appreciated.
Bassett said more than 1,000 meals were expected to be distributed between the two counties. She added that organizers plan to continue the tradition again next year.