Holiday Meals for Heroes honors legacies of fallen Philly police officers: “We’re all connected through pain”
By Josh Sanders, Casey Kuhn
Click here for updates on this story
PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — It’s a Thanksgiving tradition that helps law enforcement families who have lost loved ones feel less alone during the holidays.
Sitting at the same table, Judy Cassidy and Alexandra Carrero understand what it means to lose a partner.
“I think of him all day,” Cassidy said. “He was nothing like he was on the job. He was funny and silly with the kids.”
It’s been nearly two decades since Cassidy lost her husband, Philadelphia police Officer Charles Cassidy, who was shot and killed during a robbery at a doughnut shop in 2007.
Two years ago, Carrero and her daughter Mia lost their husband and father, Sgt. Richard Mendez, in a shooting at Philadelphia International Airport. The two men responsible for Mendez’s murder were convicted this week.
“We’re thankful that we got the closure that we desperately needed,” Carrero said. “We’re thankful that justice was served.”
On Wednesday morning, the two families joined dozens of other families at the 19th annual Holiday Meals for Heroes. The program, founded by Jimmy Binns, supports families of fallen first responders.
For Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, Wednesday is about honoring legacy.
“There’s a piece of our holiday missing for all of them, like going forward,” Mia Carrero said. “Thanksgiving, Christmas. All of them, they don’t feel the same without my dad.”
These two families and dozens of others here are moving forward through a shared understanding of pain.
“We’re all connected through pain,” Mia Carrero said, “but we’re all growing together through the pain, and it’s just building the connection with the children, with the wives, with all the family members.”
Wednesday was a day filled with gratitude as these families navigate their loss together.
“We got new family,” Alex Carrero said.
“I look forward to this,” Cassidy said. “We come here. We have fun. We get to see everybody. Everyone is happy.”
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, these families are thankful to be with each other, and founder Jimmy Binns says that’s what this is all about.
This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.