{"id":14199,"date":"2016-07-25T20:02:12","date_gmt":"2016-07-25T20:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=14199"},"modified":"2016-07-26T12:44:19","modified_gmt":"2016-07-26T12:44:19","slug":"volunteers-from-local-banks-join-together-to-feed-more-than-300-emergency-responders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=14199","title":{"rendered":"NW Georgia Volunteers from local banks join together to feed more than 300 emergency responders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Read the full story HERE\u203a\u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

(Rome News-Tribune<\/a>) \u2013 More than 300 first responders were treated to breakfast and lunch Friday thanks to Bankers United for First Responders.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll nine banks in our community came together,\u201d said Kay Chumbler of Heritage First Bank. \u201cAll nine had staff come to help serve as well. Many of the volunteers gave up their own lunch hours to come help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The day started early for everyone, many of the volunteers arrived at the municipal courtroom at the Joint Law Enforcement Center at 6:30 a.m. to get everything ready for the first crowd to come through after third shift ended. Breakfast was served from 6:45 to 10 a.m. and then lunch was served from noon to 3 p.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the last month or so, I\u2019ve seen the pain in the police chiefs\u2019 faces as they\u2019ve had to hold their troops together and encourage them through all of the tragedies happening across the nation, Chumbler said. \u201cWe just wanted to do something that would make them feel appreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rome and Floyd police were invited, as well as the Floyd County Sheriff\u2019s Office, all the EMT units, the fire department, the 911 center, the Floyd County Emergency Management Agency and the coroner\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe delivered food to the agencies that couldn\u2019t break away to come by,\u201d said Chumbler.<\/p>\n

Chumbler added she received a lot of sweet emails after she began inviting the first responders.<\/p>\n

\u201cTroy Brock, the fire chief, emailed me and said \u2018This is something big for y\u2019all to do for us,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cThat made me feel good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jennifer Ray, the district manager for Wells Fargo, said she was especially proud to participate. Her husband is a firefighter in Bartow County, so this hit home for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur country is in a pretty scary place right now,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is even more scary for the families of first responders. It means a lot to these folks that the community comes together to help and show appreciation like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sgt. Brandon Ekey of the Rome police grabbed himself some food before starting his shift.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love this,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing able to eat with some of our fellow police before we hit the road at 3 p.m. is great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rome police Lt. Chris DeHart also stopped by before starting his shift. He said he feels like what is happening in other parts of the country thankfully is not an issue here in Rome.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to the current state of affairs happening across the country, I have to say what exists in other places, doesn\u2019t exist here,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have that anti-police feeling here. Not everyone is always happy with us, but it is usually small, individual issues or someone being upset with the situation rather than officers overall.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"