"Come to find out it was a family of four, mom, dad, and two kids and they'd lost everything," Tammy said. "I said this is horrible! And I asked [my husband], 'Who helps in this situation?"
That's when she found out there wasn't much help for fire victims. She and a few other fire wives gathered some essentials for the family and that's what prompted her to create a non-profit to help fire victims.
She and several fire wives created Grand Prairie Fire Department Hearts and Hoses, a 501(c)3 with two missions.
"We provide assistance to local Grand Prairie families that have suffered a fire loss. We're able to come in immediately after that and provide temporary emergency housing, food, clothing, linens, personal items. We're able to give them gift cards so they can go buy the essentials like toiletries, diapers, formula," Tammy said. "We're there to bridge that gap from the first initial shock to getting longer term help or assistance from either insurance, family members, or another organization."
The second part of their mission means helping and supporting each other. Tammy says each department is its own extended family and they support each other with an annual awards ceremony, family picnics and even babysitting each other's children.
Tammy says the reaction they get every time she arrives on a scene is enough to keep them going.
"It is the most overwhelming gratitude. I mean, it brings tears to your eyes," she said.
The 100% volunteer organization gets funding from various sources including local businesses, non-profits, and fundraisers. "It's very humbling. To see someone who has lost almost everything, the majority of the time, it is everything, and just to be able to provide a little bit of hope and see it in their eyes," she said. "It goes a long way."
We're proud to call Tammy Fite and GPFD Hearts and Hoses this week's KRLD Difference Makers.
If you know someone who is making a difference in the community, send Susy an email at susy.solis@entercom.com.