Cooking up Christmas Dinner for Community Fire Department for Almost 25 Years
With a culture of servant-based leadership, Industrial Electronic Supply (IES) takes pride in seeing the way so many of our team members serve not only our customers, but in their communities. IES even offers full time employees a paid day off to volunteer and support local programs. And many of them, like our Branch Manager in Little Rock, Steven Ratliff don't stop there.
For almost 25 years, instead of just opening gifts and celebrating at home, Steven, along with his family, have spent Christmas Day serving food at their local fire department - providing a Christmas meal not only for the firefighters, but their families, too!
Steven's family does make time before and/or after the holiday to celebrate together. However, for 23 years in a row, they have spent their Christmas Day as a family cooking, transporting, and serving up an amazing meal at the local fire station in Bryant, Arkansas.
No longer the small neighborhood firehouse it once was, the station has grown as has the Ratliff family tradition, which allows the firemen on duty to invite their families up to the station to join them and their work family so they can all enjoy a Christmas dinner together. The meal the Ratliffs served this year included favorites like turkeys, hams, potato and green bean casseroles, along with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, deviled eggs, and dinner rolls.
Unfortunately, as the Ratliff's arrived at the fire station this year, a couple of the engines were pulling out on their way to a call. Thankfully a good meal and a good time were still enjoyed.
The photos feature just a few of the firefighters, the station, and Steven, who has a servant's heart and wasn't interested in a photo or recognition. For him and his family, it's all about showing appreciation to their first responders, which they've been doing for almost 25 years!
