Marines Serve Holiday Meals for Seniors After Fire Engulfed Home

In September, a fire caused by broken fire alarms and sprinklers burned Arthur Capper Senior Public Housing complex down. This event was tragic and devastating for residents who lost their home and years of keepsakes. Since then, Marines have gathered to serve several holiday meals for those affected.

Captain Trey Gregory of the U.S. Marine Corps and many others ran into the burning housing complex two months ago and became attached to the displaced residents. He saw the trauma firsthand that they went through and was thrilled to help them again by serving a Thanksgiving dinner.

The Marines served turkey, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and many other traditional dishes for former residents and their loved ones. It was extremely frustrating for the residents, some of whom are now living in hotels. Many of them had family coming to visit but they didn’t have any space to offer them once their loved ones arrived.

“Helping seniors is always an urgent need, but the spirit of giving is becoming vital due to the serious hardship that’s taking place during the holidays,” remarked Charles Brown, board member of the Nursing Home Abuse Center. As the dedicated marines who have been helping these individuals already know, working with the elderly is important because they truly appreciate the help and it makes a noticeable difference in their lives. There’s also the difference in perspective that others can gain through sharing in the experiences of someone who has lived a long and accomplished life.

It’s clear that these folks are still not back to where they had hoped to be after initial news of the devastation. AARP of D.C. reported that only half of the displaced residents have found new homes, while the other half of the 190 residents are forced into temporary arrangements. Some of the retirees mistakenly thought that they might only need to wait a few weeks or even months to move back into their former homes. Unfortunately, it turned out that the entire building was irrecoverable.

Since many Marines are not able to visit their homes for a variety of reasons around Thanksgiving, the crews jumped at the chance to help further. It’s appreciated even by the Marines to help promote community and increase the family atmosphere as much as possible.

The good deed even caught the attention of President Trump who personally went to the barracks with First Lady Melania Trump to thank those who helped save the Capper tenants. However, Captain Gregory insisted that they performed the actions they did for the sole purpose of helping others, not for the prospect of fame or honor.

Residents told CBS that the experience was life changing, but overall they are getting used to the idea that better things are in their future. They want to thank the many individuals who helped support them, and greatly appreciate their efforts to encourage them. World Central Kitchen based in D.C. was the organization that donated the Thanksgiving meals, and also will host a feast for those impacted by the Northern California Camp Fire (roughly 15,000 people).