Deployed Warriors’ families break bread together Published Feb. 23, 2007 By Abby Bishop 21st Space Wing Public Affairs PETERSON AFB, Colo. -- Laughter and conversation fill the room. Kids are playing, when parents call them to eat. The air is heavy with the scent of fajita meat and vegetables. About 30 families bow their heads in prayer before they sit down for a family dinner. Every family is praying for the same thing: the safe return of a deployed Airman. This is the scene on the first Friday of every month in the Peterson Air Force Base Chapel as the Deployed Spouses Family Dinner is served. The dinner is held for the families of deployed Airmen from both Peterson and Schriever Air Force Bases. "It gives the spouses an outlet and a kinship with others," said Master Sgt. Drew Holland, an event coordinator. The dinners offer more than just a meal. The kids can come and watch movies, have their faces painted and make crafts. The moms and dads have a chance to make new friends and share in the camaraderie of the night. The Commissary and the BX both donate items for a raffle to be held at the end of each night. New bicycles, movies, footballs, grills, blenders and more are all a part of the cache. Every family wins something, but the best prizes go first. "I don't know if they come more for the fellowship, or to see what we are giving away," said Master Sgt. Philip York, another of the coordinators. The first sergeants coordinate the event and every month a different organization on base volunteers to prepare the meal. "Interacting with the spouses gives us a chance to see how they are doing," said Sergeant York. "They really pour their hearts into it, and it shows," said Stacy Van Prooyen, who along with her two daughters, has been at the last three dinners. "It gets me and the kids out of the house. They have fun and I get to mingle with adults," said Billie Lombardo, who has been attending the dinners with her three kids since August 2006. The deployed family dinners offer families a chance for good food, friends and support. "Don't be afraid to come out," encouraged Sergeant York.