CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Members of the military and first responders serve our community without question. Now a local non-profit is showing how much those heroes are appreciated.
How do you say thank you to someone who will put their life on the line for you? For Burn Pits 360, a good place to start is a meal served with a lot of love.
Eva Mcguire and her brothers joined their dad, whose a veteran, for Burn Pits 360’s Hope for Heroes dinner and gift exchange.
“We’re actually having about 35 kids who are gonna get these nice little presents here,” Burn Pits 360 boardmember Laura Chapman said.
Excitement shined on kids faces as they opened all kinds of gifts like stuffed animals, toys and bikes.
“I’ve got a purse, bags some journals and pens,” McGuire said.
But the gifts aren’t from Santa - they’re from community sponsors and donors.
“I think they’re very selfless people and nice and kind,” MaGuire said.
The event is a way to give back to first responders and those in the military, like Peter Chapa, who’s an Annaville volunteer firefighter.
“It felt very good to see my family and my kids being very happy,” Chapa said.
Chapa serves his neighbors without asking for anything in return.
“I love fighting fires, I love helping people out,” Chapa said.
But some returns can be exchanged for something impactful, like helping relieve some financial hardship during the holidays.
“It actually helps us out because we are going through some burdens as we speak,” Chapa said.
But the event couldn’t be complete without a few fun games and a nice meal, not just filling up stomachs, but filling the hearts of our heroes and their families this holiday season.
To volunteer with Burn Pits 360 for other events and fundraisers, visit https://burnpits360.org.
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