North Texas groups giving meals, treats to frontline workers for Christmas to show their support

Across North Texas, people are giving a boost to first responders and healthcare workers to show their appreciation.

More North Texas first responders are receiving their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

EMS workers rolled up their sleeves to get vaccinated in Frisco on Thursday, just one day after Frisco received its first allotment of about 300 doses of the Moderna vaccine.

And across North Texas, others are giving a boost to first responders and healthcare workers to show their appreciation.

At Music City Mall in Lewisville volunteers built about 5,000 meals to go out to our first responders throughout the Metroplex.

The meals, which were stored in refrigerated trailers, will be delivered on Christmas Day to police, fire, and EMS crews as part of Feed A Hero.

The first year of Feed A Hero, in 2013, only six meals went out. This year, 5,000 will go out across nine North Texas counties.

"I’m a former first responder, so that’s my connection to the community, but even through this pandemic, those guys don’t decide which 911 call to answer. They go to every call. The men and women in our first responder community are incredible heroes to me," Jim Searles said.

There is also a campaign called Feed the Fight in Ellis County.

"This effort really fueled up as the pandemic began to rise here in Ellis County," explained Melissa Chapman, who is the organizer behind Feed the Fight.

Residents are supporting their healthcare workers by feeding those leading the fight against the virus.

"From November to December, we've seen cases in Ellis County rise 64%, and we've got full ICU beds. And our healthcare workers are just giving it their all taking care of our friends and loved ones, and families that are here fighting COVID," Chapman explained.

"All of our teams work a 12-hour rotating shift, so they do multiple 12-hour shifts a week and that’s been required of them for some time with the surge that we have seen, and that doesn’t stop over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day," said Will Turner, who is president of Baylor Scott & White Waxahachie. "And whatever little pick-me-up we can get, and show our love and support and prayers from our community through these wonderful cookies is a great time for them."

Small acts, like a meal or a sweet treat served with love can mean so much.