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Volunteer fire companies host Lenten food sales

During Lent, many Christians don't eat meat on Fridays. Area fire companies are hosting fundraisers, serving up some meatless options.

LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — All the parts needed to make a pizza are ready to go at the Greenfield Township Volunteer Fire Company.  These are the preparations ahead of the weekly Pizza sale, and people can't wait to get a tray of plain or Pagash every Friday during the fundraiser.

"My phone starts ringing for some of us members Tuesday. But usually, typically, like 10 or 11 o'clock in the morning, the phone's ringing off the hook," said volunteer firefighter Nick Bonczkiewicz.

Volunteers with the fire company make and sell about 200 pizzas every Friday and take pride in the products they serve to those loyal customers.

"We make all the dough here in-house. The sauce is made in-house. We put everything together, and people seem to enjoy it because we sell out every week," Bonczkiewicz said.

Over at the Scott Township Hose Company, volunteers fill the kitchen cooking up potato pancakes and a variety of soups for their Lenten sale. The phone lines are also busy with people calling to place orders. Each week, there's a lot do to before customers come to pick up their food.

"We'll start making the potato pancake mix on Thursday night and get everything prepped for that. And then we'll be down here early Friday morning, making the soups and starting to get the fryers going and starting to make some potato pancakes," said Fire Chief Matt Pritchyk.

These fundraisers are a big help to each fire company, and they try to offer different foods so people can get a sample from each place, while each fire company benefits from serving something different.

"It's nice, knowing that nobody's duplicate it for the most part, unlike some people that do the same as us. They're not really close, so it doesn't affect us," Pritchyk said.

First responders say they are thankful for the support of the community and try to make that same effort for each other.

"Our members, we try to go there and get stuff too, and they come to us, and it's great. It's a nice community," said Bonczkiewicz.

Both volunteer fire companies will host these Lenten food sales every Friday now through March 22nd.

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