Kids & Family

Greenwich Firefighters Give Holiday Cheer to Residents



For 40 years members of the Greenwich Firefighters Local 1042 have been bringing some much needed holiday cheer — and food to local residents.

They continued that tradition on a chilly Tuesday morning with the delivery of Thanksgiving dinner boxes brimming with all of the fixings for a delicious and nutritious turkey dinner.

Organized by Firefighter Matt Romeo, several off-duty firefighters arrived at Armstrong Court and Wilbur Peck apartment complexes in their personal pickup trucks laden with boxes of food. The food — including turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, assorted fresh vegetables, coffee, milk and eggs — was provided at a discount and packaged by the Stop & Shop on West Putnam Avenue, Romeo said.

The Thanksgiving dinner boxes started out as a goodwill gesture for the widows of firefighters and has expanded to include less fortunate families whose names are provided by the town's Department of Social Services, Romeo said.

For some families this is the only way they would have a Thanksgiving dinner, Romeo said. "The widows love seeing us every year," Romeo added.

Romeo, Firefighter Tony Gianpoalo and Deputy Fire Chief Keith Millette delivered a Thanksgiving box to Rhonda Mutz, whose firefighter husband Donald passed away in March.

It was a tearful reunion punctuated with hugs in the kitchen of the couple's home. "This is very, very nice. Thank you," Rhonda told the men. She brought the crew into her living room to show off a large portrait photograph of her late husband taken at the beach.

After a few moments of reminiscing, the firefighters were on their way to continue their deliveries. 

"Many thanks. Happy Thanksgiving," Rhonda told the men as they climbed down the stairs. 



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