Church Members Give Thanks to Firefighters with Dinner and Prayers
California -- The firefighters at San Bernadino, Ca., were honored with an early Thanksgiving dinner at the Northpark Community Church, Nov. 13. More than 70 congregants offered up their service to help prepare the feast for the local firefighters who braved two weeks of scorching brush fires across Southern California.
"It really warmed our hearts," said fire captain Doug Miles who is stationed in Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains. "Often people don't invite us to dinner. A lot of times we are the ones holding fundraisers but we're not usually the focus and reason for being there."
"They made us feel appreciated," said Gui Planagan, a firefighter for 16 years and an engineer for station 72 in Fontana, Calif. "It was more emotional than I thought it was going to be. It really touched me more than I thought."
Those who serviced the dinner came from churches across the county.
"I live in the mountains and my home was at risk. I had to evacuate. They [the firefighters] did the best they could and it brings us joy to do something small like this for them,