Emergency personnel aren’t usually bringing good news when they arrive at someone’s house, but their visit to a North Fifth Street home on Tuesday made Thanksgiving brighter for the family that lives there.

The ECHO group — Emergency Communicators Helping Others — recently raised money to donate Thanksgiving dinner to a needy family.

“I’ve been out of work the last two years,” said Barbara Jefferson, the mother of seven. Five of her children — ages 18, 16, 15, 11 and 9 — still live at home.

Jefferson was injured at work two years ago and has been struggling ever since.

“I’m just a hard-working mom trying to get back on my feet,” she said.

That’s where the ECHO group came in. On Tuesday, five emergency dispatchers paraded into Jefferson’s home with a Butterball turkey, eggs, stuffing, margarine and everything else Jefferson will need to cook Thanksgiving dinner. They even remembered the turkey pan.

“I give all the praise to God,” Jefferson said. “I just thank God y’all are a part of our life this year. I thank y’all from the bottom of my heart.”

Jefferson waved her hands in front of her face to keep from crying as the dispatchers stood in her living room. She recounted times she has had to call 911 for her asthmatic daughter.

“You probably talked to one of us,” Dispatcher Del Shannon said.

ECHO is a relatively new organization of emergency dispatchers that have been doing community service projects.

“We’re trying to put ourselves out there so the community can see us,” Shannon said. “We’re always behind the scenes.”

Jefferson said she didn’t know where Thanksgiving dinner would have come from if it were not for the dispatchers.

“We’re glad we were able to help you enjoy your Thanksgiving,” Shannon said. “We enjoy doing this.”