NewsU.S. and the World

Actions

More than meals: Vendors donating food, feeding firefighters

First responders say gesture gives them fuel, hope
Posted at 2:17 PM, May 19, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-19 16:20:21-04

DENVER, Colo. – Firefighters need a lot of food to fuel them in their fight on the frontlines.

“Every day that we go out, we burn a great deal of calories,” said Capt. Greg Pixley of the Denver Fire Department.

Pixley says it takes a lot of energy to protect the public during this pandemic.

“It’s difficult for us to work continuously go from call after call without having the opportunity to sit down and have a fresh prepared meal,” he said.

Now a group of small businesses is making a big difference by donating fresh food to their local fire stations.

“Something as simple as a meal can be something that’s really comforting and heartwarming,” said Chris Franklin of Leevers Locavore, a grocery store that helped organize the event and something Franklin describes as “adopting fire houses.”

“That meal is our symbolic token of our appreciation for everything that they are doing,” he said.

From ground beef to fresh produce, dozens of local companies have decided to donate their products and have them shipped to fire stations across the community.

“To see their gratitude this is pretty rewarding,” Franklin said.

For firefighters, this gesture is both rewarding and inspiring.

“It’s heartwarming to know that we are appreciated this much,” Pixley said. “This is more than food. It allows for us to be able to come back to the firehouse and not have to worry about where our next meal is coming from.”