Emergency vehicles from across the area were lined up outside the Crete Fire Department earlier this month. Inside, volunteers from Operation BBQ Relief were serving meals to firefighters from Crete and surrounding departments.
The group began in 2011 after a tornado in Joplin, Missouri, serving 110,000 meals in eight days. Since then, they’ve served more than 12 million meals nationwide, including 1.3 million during Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The day’s menu included pork loin, baked beans with pork, onions, peppers, and barbecue sauce, along with applesauce, cookies, and buns.
This visit was part of the Always Serving Project, an initiative to give back to those who serve their communities. The Crete stop came about thanks to a local volunteer who helped bring the event to town. It was well received by firefighters, and as often happens, local police stopped in for a plate too.
This was one of several stops for the team, who planned to serve nine departments at a training event just days later.
Learn more about Operation Barbecue Relief at https://operationbbqrelief.org
