Oakland Fire Department Gives Day Home Children a Christmas Treat

	Pictured second from left: Day Home alum and now Oakland firefighter Arash Kouhi
	Each Day Home child received an onboard tour of the truck and a candy cane.

Our local Fire Department came to visit the Day Home children on Monday, December 17, 2007, as an early Christmas treat. They brought two fire engines; the first engine was a hook-and-ladder which was too wide to fit inside our delivery gate going into the playground. A second smaller fire engine arrived a short time later.

Every child was lifted up the steep stairs, guided through the truck, then lifted out of the other door and given a candy cane from another fireman.

Several of the firemen were able to take a short tour through the Day Home.  As we walked into the dining room, one of the firemen exclaimed, “I came here; I remember this room!” It turned out that Arash Kouhi was enrolled at Saint Vincent’s in 1977 and 1978.

He told us that he has driven around the neighborhood several times looking for where he attended child care when he was four and five years old. We were touched when he called his mother to say “he had found his Day Home.” He shared many childhood memories with us and became an instant celebrity! This was a wonderful day for everyone involved!

The firemen also mentioned that they could not believe how well behaved our children were. These firemen visit a variety of different schools and childcare programs through the Oakland Fire Department’s Random Acts of Kindness initiative. The program was launched to give firefighters a chance to give something back to their communities in a positive and uplifting way.

Their visit to the Day Home turned out to be a very special day for all of our children and the firemen were happy to give our children a memorable experience.