LAWRENCE, Ind — When Dino Batalis and a handful of fellow Lawrence firefighters decided to help a few families in need back in 1988, he had no idea it would grow into a community-wide movement.
"Firefighters chipped in money and helped," Batalis recalled. "We started off with three families, and then, it's just gotten bigger and bigger and bigger and just snowballed."
Batalis, now the fire chief, said the Lawrence Fire Department Family Assistance program is on track to help about 820 families this year. With assistance from other volunteers in the community, families in need are helped out with groceries, gas, clothing and coats. Beds are also delivered to kids who don't have one.
"It’s just an incredible thing," said Neal Gore, community-in-school liaison at Harrison Hills Elementary School in Lawrence Township. “We can call the chief and within 24 hours, that student has a bed delivered to their house. For us, if your child is falling asleep in school, they're not getting an education. So it's just a huge help!"
“The bittersweet part is that the need keeps getting bigger, but this community bounces back, and the giving just keeps on coming,” Batalis said.
Families are identified through a variety of sources, including the township trustee's office, local school officials and firefighter emergency calls.
One of the highlights of the year is the holiday meal and toy drive. Each year, firefighters spearhead a donation drive of new, unwrapped toys donated by people in the community. Volunteers also pack hundreds of boxes full of food for a Christmas meal. Families are able to get a meal and pick out toys for their children.
Nearly 200 families will benefit from the donation drive this holiday season.
"It seems like people put their differences away during the holidays, and they're here to help other people, and you just wish it could be like that year-round," said Batalis, who is about to retire after more than three decades. "It takes everybody to make this work, and I'm just thrilled that we have a community that's so giving!"
You can still donate to the holiday toy drive by dropping off new, unwrapped toys until Dec. 15 at any Lawrence fire station or the Lawrence government building. For more information, call the Lawrence Fire Department at 317-542-4551.