HAYDEN, Idaho – Dana Bellefeuille, owner of The Village Bakery, has taken the lead in supporting firefighters following an ambush on Canfield Mountain.
She shared her motivation for this initiative, emphasizing the spirit of service in her community.
“Everybody here wants to serve, I have had lines out the door of volunteers coming to help prepare meals. Text messages go out, and people are here on a moment’s notice to come and serve our firefighter family and our police family. This community is one of service.”
Touched emotionally by the event, Bellefeuille expressed her admiration for first responders.
“They are all about service to our cities, our towns, our country and they will run into those burning buildings and they will sacrifice their lives,” she said.
Her connection to the firefighting community is personal, as her husband is a firefighter in Spokane.
Bellefeuille shared, “It’s hard to talk about because as a fire wife, you never know. Sadly, they got that call and if we could do anything as the wives to support those that have fallen, we will do all that we can.”
To support the firefighters, Bellefeuille and other bakers are preparing food for North Idaho fire stations and those stationed at the funeral home where fallen heroes John Morrison and Frank Harwood are resting.
“We have been making breakfast items, breakfast burritos, lots of scrambled eggs, breakfast bowls. We’re in the middle of making some homemade bagel breakfast sandwiches right now,” she said.
Bellefeuille also mentioned the financial support pouring in from across the country and locally. This funding helps businesses like her bakery provide meals for firefighters.
“We have networked with everybody to help provide meals, whether it be at the hospital, on the front lines or at individual fire stations, so we can make sure that every need is taken care of,” she explained.
