Ken Andreen, a delivery driver with Mom’s Meals, has a unique ability to be in the right place at the right time. It’s an important quality as a delivery driver. It’s also made him a hero — twice. For his selfless acts of bravery, Ken was recently honored with the Mom’s Hero Award, a distinction given for his rescues, two years apart.
Ken’s most recent heroic act took place in October. While on his normal delivery route in Pittsburgh, Pa., Ken saw smoke about three blocks away from where he was. His instincts kicked in again as he followed the smoke and saw a house on fire. After parking down the street and calling 911, he went inside the house. He heard a TV on upstairs. After making his way up the stairs, he found a man asleep on the couch. Ken immediately woke the man up and made their way out of the house.
This was not the first time Ken’s heroism was called upon. Two years prior, he was on his regular Thursday delivery route in Pittsburg and noticed a house on fire. He leapt into action. Seeing the door was ajar, he pushed it open and called out — and heard a voice. Ken entered and moved toward the voice while flames were lapping from the roof and thick, black smoke billowing out the windows. He found an individual sleeping on the sofa, picked him up, threw him over his shoulder and bolted out the door.
“Ken’s courage in these life-threatening situations is truly heroic,” said Dan Mandolfo, Chief Operation Officer for Mom’s Meals. “We are proud to present Ken with the first ever Mom’s Hero Award. This award was created to recognize employees who display exceptional bravery, show a strong commitment to helping others, lead during a difficult situation and inspire others to engage in acts of bravery or selflessness.”
Ken, who downplays his heroism, said, “I just saw someone who needed help, and I didn’t think twice. I’m grateful to have been there and to have a made a difference.”
Ken continues to leave a lasting impact on the communities where he lives and works through his selflessness and bravery. While his actions have made a difference in the lives of many, the family who lost their home in October still needs help. To learn more on how you can help this family during this holiday season, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-facemyers-recover-from-a-tragic-house-fire.
“Ken’s repeated heroism serves as a powerful reminder of the impact one individual can have in their community,” said Mandolfo.
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About Mom’s Meals
Mom’s Meals is the leading provider of comprehensive food as medicine solutions with published improved health outcomes that drive lasting change. This includes fully prepared, refrigerated, medically tailored home-delivered meals delivered to any address nationwide, nutritional counseling, other forms of nutrition support and personalized engagement. These solutions are provided through Medicaid or Medicare Advantage health plan benefits or for direct purchase. At Mom’s Meals, our mission is to improve lives through better nutrition at home through our long-term care, condition management, post-discharge and food insecurity programs. For more information, visit www.momsmeals.com.