Thursday, March 28, 2024

Grace Lutheran hosts thank-you meal for first responders

Sunday night was the third annual Dodge Center Emergency Services picnic; a meal hosted by the Grace Lutheran Church in appreciation for the sheriff’s office employees, ambulance drivers, and firefighters that serve and protect the town. The church also invites the families of these men and women to come enjoy delicious food and the comradeship of the church.

The dinner is the brainchild of Pastor Timothy Chase who explained, “We want to say thank you for these people’s service and what they do for the community.”

When he was in college, he wrote a paper about police and fire chaplains. He has searched for ways ever since then to thank emergency service personnel.

When he first came to Dodge Center in 2014, he told the congregation he’d like to host a thank you dinner for local emergency services personnel and that got the ball rolling. 

“Volunteers stepped up as they always do,” he said. “I haven’t found a project yet that’s too big for the church.”

There were about 20 volunteers wearing their ‘Live Generously’ blue T-shirts from Trivent Financial Services who helped at the dinner.

Volunteers included the five Chase children. Tim’s wife Jana, has a degree in elementary education, and she home schools the children. The couple hope dinners like this show their children not only to live generously but to show respect to police officers and those in the community that help in times of need.

“They’re here to be for us; not against us,” said Tim.

Last year, a couple of sheriff’s deputies had just walked in when they were called out. That perfectly illustrates the commitment those personnel have

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