Honoring First Responders
Thunder Outreach to sponsor special church services in the area
Thunder Outreach will be sponsoring a series of First Responder Appreciation Days at local churches this summer to honor those who serve and protect their communities.
As a faith based community initiative, Thunder Outreach is an organization that puts together service events, such as food drives and block parties, for communities in the tri-county area. However Executive Director of the program, Mark Malizzi, mentioned that helping first responders is a large part of what they do.
“I want to get churches actively supporting their first responders in their communities,” he said. “I want relationships to be built so there’s a support structure for those first responders.”
Throughout May, June, and July, services at different local churches will be held as part of Thunder Outreach’s initiative, where pastors will speak about the importance of first responders and their impact.
A service for First Responders Appreciation Day will be held at Morningstar church in Bechtelsville on Sunday June 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
On July 23, Thunder Outreach will be partnering with the Reading Fightin Phils for the annual First Responder Appreciation Night. The nonprofit organization will be buying 5000 tickets and giving them to first responders in the area-- who will be recognized at the game that night for their service.
Malizzi, the 2016 Boyertown Citizen of the Year and board member for Boyertown Area Fire and Rescue, explained that letting first responders know they’re appreciated is important.
“When they have to deal with an emergency or situation, they need someone to talk to. To have support from churches in the community helps first responders to do their job better,” he said. “We need to protect and serve those who protect and serve us.”
Thunder Outreach started as a bible study group idea, but became an official non-profit entity in 2005. Since then, it has strived for community service and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the largest food drive by a noncharitable organization. Earlier this year, the program also donated 10 bullet proof vests to the Boyertown and Colebrookdale police departments.