KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Firefighters and paramedics spent Saturday morning wrapping hundreds of presents for needy kids in the metro.
Kansas City, Mo. Firefighters and Paramedics, along with their families, wrapped more than a 1,000 presents on Saturday for hundreds of kids who might otherwise wake up Christmas morning with nothing.
“I’m wrapping presents for kids who don’t have presents for Christmas,” said 12-year-old volunteer, Tony Sirna.
Firefighters encounter a lot of people when on calls, but there are some in particular that really stick in their minds.
“When we’re on calls we see a lot of people in need. That’s on duty but when we’re off duty we get an opportunity to step up and help because even though you leave the call you don’t walk away from thoughts of those people,” said Adam James, an IAFF Local 42 spokesman.
Joe Burnell, a retired firefighter, and his wife started the Have a Heart charity 22 years ago. Every year since firefighters have fundraised year round to buy presents for children Jackson County Social Workers choose and say need them the most.
“We adopt anywhere from 325 to 350 kids a year, we’ve done over 10,000 kids in the 22 years,” said Matt Tuder, a KCMO firefighter.
Burnell said no child should ever feel forgotten. He hopes his organization gives children in need a feeling that there is someone out there who really cares.
Organizers said they still anticipate some last minute requests to help children in need. If you’d like to learn more about the program or how you can donate, visit their Facebook Page.
