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<p>WILKES-BARRE TWP. &#8212; Monday&#8217;s holiday didn&#8217;t stop a few area restaurant employees from opening the doors a little early to start making a special feast for some community service workers.</p><p>Some employees at Olive Garden started work early on Labor Day, creating a feast that would be hand-delivered and served to local police, fire and EMS workers at the Wilkes-Barre police station Monday afternoon.</p><p>Lasagna, spaghetti, salads, deserts and more were prepared free of charge as part of the company&#8217;s free meals for service workers program, said restaurant manager Kenneth Pepperling.</p><p>&#8220;We want to show them our appreciation for what they do,&#8221; he said of the chain&#8217;s program. &#8220;Every year, we try to pick a different area and provide them with a free meal on Labor Day.&#8221;</p><p>Although Pepperling was staffed at a different location for last year&#8217;s feast, he remembers serving the Hollenback area service workers two years ago at their local fire station.</p><p>Olive Garden&#8217;s across the country have been participating in the annual Labor Day feast, and the Wilkes-Barre location is no exception.</p><p>Pepperling said the local chain has been involved since it started serving breadsticks and pasta, about 14 years ago.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Ciara Gregory, an Olive Garden employee fills boxes with food for first responders Monday at the Wilkes-Barre Township Restaurant. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_oliver_garden1_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>Ciara Gregory, an Olive Garden employee fills boxes with food for first responders Monday at the Wilkes-Barre Township Restaurant. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_olive_garden2_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Mary Ann Bonita leads Olive Garden employees to delivery vehicles with lunches for first responders Monday at the Wilkes-Barre Township restaurant. Olive Garden annually provides lunches for first responders on Labor Day. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_olive_garden2_faa.jpg</photo1><caption1>Mary Ann Bonita leads Olive Garden employees to delivery vehicles with lunches for first responders Monday at the Wilkes-Barre Township restaurant. Olive Garden annually provides lunches for first responders on Labor Day. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Restaurant provides lunch to service workers</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Marcella Kester</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>The Times Leader newsroom may be reached at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Olive Garden delivers for first responders