Mt. Prospect Fire prepares 'Meals from the Heart'

On July 11, 2012, the Mount Prospect Fire Department, in cooperation with Operation North Pole, participated in the “Meals from the Heart” program at the Ronald McDonald House located at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital. The Meals from the Heart program offers small groups of volunteers the opportunity to plan a menu, purchase the ingredients and then prepare a meal for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. The goal of the program is to help these families find nourishment and comfort in a shared, home-cooked meal. Ten members of the Fire Department planned and then prepared a “Good Old Fashioned Barbeque” of hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, potato salads, and a whole lot more, for approximately 50 people. All of the food for the meal was donated by QCi Restoration, a fire and flood restoration contractor, based in Elgin.

The Mount Prospect Fire Department learned about Meals from the Heart through Operation North Pole, which organizes a group of volunteers to participate in the program every month. Operation North Pole is a non-profit organization based in Des Plaines that annually brings a day of Christmas joy to local children suffering from life-threatening illnesses. Volunteers provide these children, and their immediate families, with the fantasy experience of travelling to the North Pole for a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

While at the Ronald McDonald House, Fire Department members had the opportunity to eat and visit with the families staying there. Mount Prospect Firefighter's Local 4119 brought with them a magician, Marshall Brodien, Jr., who entertained the group after the barbeque. Fire Chief John Malcolm stated that the entire day was “really a lot of fun. Everyone enjoyed the barbeque and there was a lot of laughing going on during the magic show.”

Fire Chief John Malcolm stated that participating in the program was “one of the best experiences of my life. Meeting the families and making their day a little brighter, even for just a few hours, was such a rewarding experience.” The Fire Department is hoping to participate in the program again in the future.

For more information about Operation North Pole, contact their President, Barb Dabler, at (847) 813-5387, or visit them on the web at operationnorthpole.org.