Lincoln firefighters deliver food to families just in time for the holidays

Christmas will be a little tastier this year for the Knight family thanks to a group of Lincoln fire fighters.

Four members of Lincoln Fire and Rescue stopped by the Knight’s southeast Lincoln home to deliver a box of food just in time for the holidays.

Kaye Knight and her husband are raising their 9–year–old granddaughter and 17–year–old grandson so money is tight.

The food donated by LFR ensures the family will have a special meal for the holidays.

“There isn’t any extra ever and to have to have the extra at the holidays this is just huge it’s really, really appreciated,” Kaye Knight said. 

Giving away Christmas dinners to Lincoln families is an annual tradition for the fire department.

This year 25 families received a box of food from Hy–Vee with a ham, dinner rolls, pie, side dishes, and several other items.

Fire trucks, engines, and ambulances all stopped by Hy–Vee near 52nd and O Streets to load up before hitting the road to deliver the goods.

“We deliver them to take some of the stress off the families that have had a rougher year whether its medical needs, loss of a job or financial, anything like that,” Nate Caldwell, a firefighter paramedic for LFR, said. 

The food is paid for by members of LFR through the Firefighters Benefit Association.

Members contribute money monthly, which then goes to pay for different events in the community, including providing holiday dinners.

Dinners that make Christmas a little brighter for families like the Knights.

And one the family could never fully express their gratitude for.

“They give every day anyway in their job, they give all day long and then to further reach out like this and give it just says a lot about the Lincoln firefighters and I’m proud to know them and we’re just so appreciative,” Knight said.