My wife's second-grade class made cards of thanks for police, fire the military as a project to remember 9/11.
On Saturday, September 11 we took some of the cards to the local fire station down the street. The engine was returning from a call as we were knocking on the door. It stopped and a fire fighter got out to ask what we needed. My wife explained that she taught second grade and that the kids made cards to thank them. The fire fighter took them...kinda. He wanted only one or two, not the ten or so that my wife had. He said that they get a lot of things like this and they usually just go in to the recycle. He would take ours. He thanked us and went inside.
Next we went to the police station. We pushed the buzzer and knocked on the door. No one ever responded.
After that, we went to the local sheriff's office. A deputy answered the door. He said that we needed to come back when someone was there, but then he saw the cards in my wife's hand. He asked if those were Thank You cards? My wife explained what they were. He said that he could take them off her hands. They usually take them and recycle them because they get boxes of them every year.
So my wife gave the deputy the cards. In exchange, he gave her a stack of junior deputy stickers.
Next year, it's doubtful if my wife's class room will actually try to distrubute the cards. It seems as though they are more work than they're worth for the people to whom they are intended. She will probably have the kids make the cards. She'll probably put them in our recycling at home to save the local first-responders the trouble.
If you're a first responder, please know that many of us appreciate what you do. In a huge storm, I'm happy to be inside while the wind blows and the trees fall. Then I hear the local fire truck go by. I'm so very happy to have people who rise to that challenge. If you want a card of thanks, let me know. We'd love to send them to you.