Local restaurant employees take food to Bibb deputies on Labor Day

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – For Linda Mercer cooking and preparing food is in her DNA. But serving up this meal on Labor Day is something she’s been looking forward to for a while.

Olive Garden Manager, Linda Mercer, “Because we will be able to give back to our first responders.”

So over at the Macon Mall at the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office substation it’s a delicious layout of Italian food, salad and dessert.

But more than the food itself, it’s the act of kindness that speaks volumes.

Linda Mercer, “Because we get to go out to the community and thank the people we count on. We count on the police department to keep us safe it feels good to be able to do something for them.”

With all that’s been going on around the country recently, racial unrest and police under the microscope for using deadly force in some cases.

It is this kind of gesture these deputies really come to appreciate.

Sgt. Jamey Jones, Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, “I think it brings a better closeness to the community it is just not somebody serving us food. We like to interact with the community as mush as we can.”

From Linda and her staff, it’s an act of kindness that means so much to these men and women that protect us keeping people in Middle Georgia safe. Workers from more than 800 Olive Garden stores around the country took food to first responders.  They’ve been doing this since 2002, serving more than ten thousand meals.

The good people at the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church had deputies from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at their church over the weekend to enjoy food as well.