Officers Treat Seniors to a Holiday Dinner

The foyer of the Burns Manor senior housing complex was buzzing like a trendy restaurant on a Saturday night.

At 4 p.m., a full half-hour before dinner was scheduled to begin, about 50 residents were already congregating outside the dining hall. By 4:30, the crowd had grown to more than 100.

Parties come and go, but at Burns Manor this was an event not to be missed.

On Thursday, for the third year in a row, about two dozen officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Foothill Division volunteered their time and culinary expertise to put on a holiday dinner at the complex. Open to seniors throughout the area, the meal was prepared and served entirely by Foothill officers and their families.

“It’s a very unusual treat and very wonderful,” said Pat Battle, shortly after finishing a meal of ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, yams and gelatin salad. “The officers are all so gracious.”

In addition to the food, dinner guests received small gifts and were treated to singing and dance routines by officers, students from the Foothill Jeopardy program and other volunteers.

Officer Jackie Landtiser, who with fellow Officers Don Blanken and John Hummel helped organize the dinner, said that Foothill officers have a long tradition of aiding children during the holidays, but had not done the same for seniors.

“We decided it would be nice to go ahead and plan a dinner for senior citizens. Three years later and we’re still here doing it,” she said. “It’s absolutely a great way to get the holiday spirit started.”

Standing in the kitchen watching the men and women of his division slicing ham and turkey and hustling to replace empty food pans with fresh ones, Capt. Ronald Bergmann said he didn’t know who was enjoying themselves more.

“The people who live here really appreciate it, but I think the officers have even a better time doing it,” he said.