Kent firefighters honor community volunteers

Though they serve the community in a variety of different ways, firefighters from Kent got a little more hands on Dec. 18 as they served lunch at the Kent Senior Activity Center to say thanks to the the center's army of volunteers.

"We volunteer to serve," said Kent Firefighter Foundation President Mike Moore, adding that this is an opportunity to give back to a city that supports their endeavors. "The community has been so good to us."

The foundation purchased all of the meal tickets for the Dec. 18 lunch and then hustled trays of food back and forth from the center's kitchen, one of three lunches throughout the year paid for and staffed by members of the department.

"This gives them an opportunity to meet the people that actually fund us," Moore said. "This is another way to give back to them."

According to Moore, firefighters each donate between $10 and $25 each month to the foundation, which paid for the event. Firefighters on hand to serve were in uniform, but were volunteering on their day off.

Moore said too often when a firefighter or emergency workers meet people it is under less-than-happy circumstances, something a lunch like this helps to correct.

"We want to see you in good times," he said. "We want to see you on times like this."

Senior Activity Center Coordinator Helena Reynolds said the first 100 tickets to the lunches were given out to the center's volunteers, many of whom also received a surprise: the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, complete with a certificate, a letter from President Barack Obama on White House stationary and a special pin honoring their service.

Approximate 100 volunteers were honored with the awards, all of whom have recorded more than 250 hours of volunteer time.

"Without these volunteers, we would not be the best senior center in the world," Reynolds said, adding that the seniors "love it" when the firefighters come by.

"They love to watch the people in blue," reynolds said. "We appreciate the Kent firefighters not only for their service, but for their contribution."

Volunteer Coreen Jones, who received a letter from the White House, said the lunch was "wonderful" and that the firefighters in attendance was an honor.

"A lot of people, they don't think about the seniors," she said. "We really appreciate them thinking about us."

Jones said she volunteers once a week at the center and once more each week in the cafe.

"I like to help people," she said. "That's what it's really all about."

Moore said the Foundation, which has 170 members, is also working on a scholarship program it hopes to get off the ground in 2010.

But the lunches remain a favorite, not just of the seniors, but the firefighters as well and they would definitely continue next year.

"They like it, we like it," he said. "It's one of those things we look forward to doing."

Contact Kent Reporter General assignment reporter Brian Beckley at bbeckley@kentreporter.com or 253-872-6600, ext. 5054.

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