The Willow Street Fire Company, like many volunteer fire departments, is almost entirely funded by donations. Firefighters rely on the generosity of the community to cover their operational expenses such as vehicle maintenance and new equipment costs. The necessary funds are acquired in many ways, but the fire department's primary source of income is through individual donations, which are most often received by mail.

In May, Willow Street Fire Company member Bob Doyle was combing through donations that had been mailed in. For each donation, Doyle writes a small thank you card to return to the sender, but one particular letter caught his eye. It contained a check and a small note from West Lampeter Township resident Stacey Callahan, who explained that the money was raised by her 6-year-old son, Jameson. In her note, Stacey said that Jameson acquired the money by operating a lemonade and baked goods stand at a neighborhood yard sale.

Doyle was struck by Jameson's generosity. He brought the note to the fire department's treasurer and fire chief, and they decided that the young donor deserved a big thank you. "The amount given wasn't important; it was the fact that a kid wanted to help people with his money instead of buying toys," Doyle said. "It's not every day that we receive a donation from a 6-year-old."

Doyle contacted Stacey to let her know how much the fire company appreciated the donation, and he told her that the firefighters wanted to personally thank Jameson. On June 16, members of the Willow Street Fire Company organized an apparatus parade with a procession of fire engines in front of the Callahans' home. The firefighters made Jameson an honorary member of the company and gave him a hat and T-shirt before taking him and his father, Jim, on a ride in one of the trucks.

"I was shocked," Stacey said. "I was so touched that they did that. All of the volunteers took time out of their schedules to make this big display, and Jameson thought it was the coolest thing."

On the day of the parade, Stacey and Jameson made another batch of lemonade and treats to give to the firefighters. Stacey said that Jameson's T-shirt from the fire department is his new favorite article of clothing and that he would wear it every day if he could.

Jameson was inspired to operate the stand at the yard sale after his friends organized one of their own last summer. Stacey helped him make blueberry muffins, crisped rice treats and chocolate chip cookies to sell, and she suggested that they put their profits to good use. Jameson had developed a fascination with firefighters and police officers after they visited his school, and he decided to split his earnings between the Willow Street Fire Company and the Friends of the West Lampeter Township Police Department. Stacey matched the amount that he raised from the stand and sent half of the total to each organization.

"We wanted to teach our son that community is important," Stacey said. "We have such a great community and neighborhood here, and we wanted to give back to the people who make it special."