Community Home Care and Hospice will exercise grateful hearts for Beaufort County first responders Friday.

For the first time, the company will hold a first responders appreciation barbecue from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Residents are invited out to the building to grab a quick barbecue lunch to thank the people who volunteer their time and sacrifice so much to save the lives of others.

“We want them to know that we see them as everyday heroes for all that they do and the sacrifices that they make,” Niki Hamilton, senior director of operations, said.

Hamilton said employees of Community Home Care and Hospice try to stay connected in the community — they are always looking for different ways to help that go beyond the scope of their work. She said employees started talking about all of the people in the county who are volunteers, and the decision to honor first responders was an easy one.

The goal of the event is simple — to say thanks. She said employees expect nothing in return; they just want to give residents the chance to come out and say “thank you” face to face to the volunteers who are there to help in just a moment’s notice.

It’s not an easy job — and Community Hospice wants those volunteers to know their hard work does not go unnoticed.

“We want to build up the community, so they feel taken care of and trust their neighbors. We just want to be an extension of the heart and hands of God and what he designed us to be,” Hamilton said.

Even though the barbecue is the first one of its kind, Hamilton said she anticipates making it a yearly event. Community Hospice is expecting a good turnout for Friday’s lunch with good weather and good food. Hamilton said it will be an informal setting; people can come and go as they please.

The barbecue is set for Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Community Home Care and Hospice, 222 W. Stewart Parkway, Suite 100, in Washington.