TINTON FALLS – Senior citizens in Tinton Falls continue to show their appreciation for local emergency responders when residents of Atria Senior Living honored hometown heroes with a free lunch on the anniversary of Sept. 11.
The Ambassador Club at Atria Senior Living in Tinton Falls commemorated all of the hard work emergency responders from the Tinton Falls First Aid Squad, paramedics from Jersey Shore Medical Center, the local fire department and other emergency service facilities provide residents of the long-term healthcare facility with during the year.
Ellen Schaefer, who is the engaged life director at Atria Senior Living, said the Ambassador Club is a one-of-a-kind “welcome wagon” that consists of several residents who are responsible for the facility’s community outreach effort.
Terry Ehlers, a resident at the nursing home and member of the ambassador club, said the day’s gesture symbolizes a token of gratitude residents said they have for local emergency responders who they said are often called to assist with urgent matters.
Ehlers said emergency responders are most frequently called to the nursing home to respond to individuals who fall and may be injured, or to help those who have had a heart attack or stroke.
“They come here a lot,” Ehlers said. “They are here right away and they take good care of us.”
Even when the microwave begins to occasionally emit smoke, residents said, volunteers from the local fire department are immediately on the scene and responding to the situation as soon as a call is placed.
On Sept. 11, the Ambassador Club ordered sub sandwiches from The Original Attilio’s Pizza in Tinton Falls and packed them along with cookies, pretzels and a drink. Emergency responders were invited to stop by the nursing home to pick up a free lunch to take with them back to work.
“Another word for a sub is a hero, we just have a play on words and want to stick with the theme of appreciation and let (emergency responders ) know that we appreciate them for keeping us safe here,” Schaefer said. “We realize they were heroes during 9/11 and we realize that they (also) help us with our fire drills and our mock evacuations.”
Schaefer said she also reached out to multiple ambulance companies and invited those emergency responders to have a free lunch with folks who are grateful for their service.
Schaefer said the lunches that were left over from the day’s event were delivered directly to emergency responders at their individual headquarters.
While members of the ambassador club reflected on the ways in which their lives have been protected, residents had simple words to offer their hometown heroes.
“Thank you,” they said.