Trenton firefighters and friends assembled 150 meals for the homeless Friday and delivered them in person.
TRENTON -- A few weeks ago, Trenton firefighters Naseeb Washington and Kevin Soto were visiting a city school to read books to kids.
It got them thinking about doing more for the community, Soto said. Then Washington had an idea: on his birthday, they'd celebrate by cooking meals for the homeless.
Washington's birthday was Friday and it was great timing, Soto said, because while many are gearing up for a lot of family time and big neals, the homeless are not.
"We just wanted to give back to our city and make those that are less fortunate than us smile and have a somewhat of a blessed holiday," Soto said.
For a few hours Friday, Soto, Washington and some other firefighters, Eric Miller and retired firefighter Ron Hubscher Jr., and friends walked to known homeless spots and hand out 150 meals.
Trenton firefighters practice bailing out of windows
They walked down train tracks, fanned out from the Rescue Mission shelter and just pulled over when they spotted someone in need.
The assembled the meals at Mannino's pizzeria in Morrisville, Pa., who donated their time and facilities.
Each meal included pasta, salad, bread, vegetables, and a bottle of water.
"Hopefully, this shows other people that you can make a difference and put a smile on someone's face even if it's for one day, one second or even a lifetime," Soto said.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.