By Leann Holt
Albuquerque Journal
Copyright 2006 Albuquerque Journal
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — What started on Christmas Day 1994 with a blueberry cheesecake and a platter of cookies has multiplied over 12 years into 24 turkeys, 18 hams, 140 pounds of mashed potatoes, almost 10 gallons of gravy, and 42 cheesecakes and pies.
On Monday, all that food and then some was delivered to 350 firefighters, police officers and sheriff’s deputies who were on duty in the area on Christmas Day.
“They protect and serve the community year-round,” said Leroy Saiz, executive chef at the Sheraton Uptown, who volunteed to help prepare some of the food. “It’s the least I and the hotel can do to show our gratitude.”
The idea for feeding firefighters and law enforcement officers on Christmas Day was conceived in a mother’s heart. Mary Nell McKinney, 84, a lifelong Albuquerque resident, knew she had to do something when her firefighter son and his crew showed up hungry at her house on Christmas Day.
Lt. Pat McKinney and his crew drove to his mom’s house in their firetruck to pick up a cheesecake she had for them and cookies from the girl next door. But Mary Nell McKinney soon realized the men were seriously hungry, probably tipped off by the fact they were raiding her two refrigerators and freezer.
The firefighters had forgotten that grocery stores would be closed that day, and they didn’t have enough food at the station to make a meal.
“I couldn’t even get to sleep that night,” McKinney said. “I told my husband that if that happened to Pat’s crew, it’s happening all over Albuquerque.”
Project “Can’t Be Home for Christmas” was birthed the next day.
McKinney and her husband wrote letters to “everywhere I could think of where food was served.” She was overwhelmed by the responses, which were so generous she had to ask some donors to give less so others could be involved.
“I want as many people in the community as possible to contribute so the (firefighters and police officers) will know the community is behind them.”
Over the years, city police officers, State Police officers and Bernalillo County firefighters, rescue workers and sheriff’s deputies were added to the meal list. On Monday, food was delivered to 42 sites.
Ruben Collado, a captain at Albuquerque Fire Department Station 13, said the food helps ease the pain of working Christmas Day. In addition to having to be away from their families, Christmas Day emergencies can be very difficult to deal with, he said.
“They’re a little down because they have to work,” Collado said of his crew. “This helps. We sit down as a family and eat.”
Eight years ago, McKinney passed the “Can’t Be Home for Christmas” project on to Jennie Cox - the girl next door who had baked cookies for Pat McKinney’s crew that first Christmas. Cox, who was too shy to be in McKinney’s house when the firefighters showed up that morning, has grown into a fearless advocate for the project. This year, she secured food and cash donations from almost two dozen businesses.
“This is what I love, so I am able to throw myself out there and call contributors,” Cox said as she supervised the food distribution Monday. “My family knows that this is my Christmas.”