Effort to Feed North Texas First Responders on Christmas Day Spreads Across North Texas

It’s been a North Texas tradition now for nine years. Each Christmas, volunteers with Feed-a-Hero make sure no first responder goes hungry on the holiday.

Now they say, their efforts are catching on, with others joining in to do the work they started back in 2013.

“Every year we just continue to be blessed. Every year we say, ‘what’s next?’” said founder Jim Searles.

As a former first responder, Searles said the idea for Feed-a-Hero started back in 2013 when he and his kids delivered Christmas dinner to six Denton firefighters.

With some help, the next year they served more, and then more the year after that.

“Just when you think you’ve maxed out and there’s just nothing more we can do, here comes the next phase,” he said.

Last year, thousands of Feed-a-Hero volunteers provided more than three tons of brisket and sides for 7,000 firefighters and police officers, reaching every department in and around DFW.

“Every year it just gets bigger, badder, and this year it got better,” said Searles.

That’s because this year, for the first time, volunteers have fewer meals to prepare as about two dozen departments around the region pick up the initiative Searles started to serve their own.

“For any other business, you don’t want your numbers to go down. Yes, we do, because that means communities are waking up and communities are putting together community groups, churches and the cities are putting together meals for their own heroes,” he said.

With others chipping in, Searles said Feed-a-Hero can focus on new and expanding departments as North Texas continues to grow along with an effort to provide relief, through food and water, to first responders throughout the year.

“I’m just a guy that started out with a kind act. And you know, if we can just be kind to each other, look at what can happen,” said Searles.

ONLINE: Feed-a-Hero is still looking for volunteers of all ages to assist with food prep and delivery on Dec. 24 and 25 To sign up or donate, visit feedahero.org.