This article was originally published in The Examiner on Feb. 2, 2017.
By Eleanor Skelton
Staff Writer
The senior club at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Port Arthur hosted a luncheon for local first responders Jan. 30.
Maria Saldana, president of the senior club, organized the dinner.
Several ladies served gumbo, rice and potato salad with apple pie for dessert while the other club members played bingo.
“This is our first, hopefully not our last; it’s just something that we wanted to do for the first responders because they get so much flack,” Saldana said. “We watch TV and we see the policemen all over the United States not getting a fair chance, so I just felt like we need to do something to thank them for what they do for the city.”
Saldana, 80, said she has been part of the senior club for 10
years.
“I’m hoping this will become an annual event,” she said.
At the end of the dinner, Port Arthur Police Chief Patrick Melvin thanked the senior club on behalf of the major, city manager, and all the officers and firefighters unable to attend.
“We appreciate the opportunity to fellowship with you all,” Melvin said. “We definitely respect you as our seniors and elders in our community.”
“The firefighters and police officers of this community, they really do a great work,” he added, asking the audience to give the first responders a round of applause. “It was delicious and although I have only had one [bite] of my apple pie, trust me when I get back to sitting over there, I’m going to finish it.”
Eleanor Skelton 