Rutherford County, TN - Rutherford County First Responders have organized and participated in several charitable initiatives during the month of December. Rutherford County Emergency Medical Service conducted a food drive and participated in an event at The Experience Church with 1,500 kids. The food drive raised over $8,000, which allowed them to stock up on essential food items.

The donations along with the food items collected from both the staff and the community were delivered to the Rutherford County Schools ATLAS Program, an initiative that supports students facing food scarcity and those who rely heavily on the school system for their daily meals.

Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency 911 staff collected donations and food for the Rutherford County Schools ATLAS Program as well. The dispatchers collected money and donated items to Rutherford County PAWS, contributed to several GoFundMe fundraisers for coworkers and strangers and bought Angel Tree gifts. They also collected money and items to make Christmas gift bags for local nursing home residents.

A video about the gift bag initiative is available below...

This past week, Rutherford County employees got the opportunity to start their Friday morning off with coffee, a selection of biscuits, and a heaping dose of fellowship at the annual Coffee and Biscuit with the Mayor. It’s an opportunity for Mayor Joe Carr to take a few minutes and spread Christmas cheer to various departments all at once. Many employees use this as a chance to take team pictures by the Christmas tree in the lobby.

“The County is blessed to have such devoted professionals in all of the departments,” Carr said. “It’s a time where we take a few minutes to catch up and share holiday greetings before starting our daily service to the community.”

Several County Commissioners were in attendance as well, sharing a cup of coffee and a story with various department team members.

Rutherford County Government offices will be closed on Wednesday, December 24th through Friday, December 26th , in observance of Christmas to allow the employees to spend that time with family and friends.

Carr said he is grateful to the emergency personnel and departments that will continue to operate throughout the holiday. Rutherford County Solid Waste and PAWS have special hours posted on their respective Facebook pages.

MORE: See how the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office spread Christmas Joy HERE.