A Covington police officer whose house burned down the day before Thanksgiving is already paying it forward.

Officer Chris Smith says he and his family have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support they have received from the community.

“We have been so blessed by people bringing us clothes and necessities,” he tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish.

Loganville Police Officer Mark Lusk, co-founder of Heroes Helping Heroes, asked to adopt Smith’s family for Christmas.

“I felt it in my heart to help a family left with nothing after a fire,” says Lusk.  “My family and I are blessed (and) we sat down as a family and decided to give up our Christmas for a family in need.”

But Smith kindly turned down the offer.  He told Lusk even before the fire, he had planned to organize an effort by his shift at the Covington Police Department to help a family in need this Christmas.

“I said I’d rather you just get on board with us, and let’s really try to make it special for another family and just really pass it along,” he says.

The family who will be the beneficiaries of that effort is that of 4-year-old Dahlia Minton.  At age 2, the little girl from Butts County was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma. After fighting the disease for more than a year, the cancer went into remission, but has since returned in her brain.

The two police officers have been working with the Scarborough and Friends Foundation to give the family a great Christmas celebration.

The MIntons will be the guests of honor at the Covington Police Department Sunday night where they will receive dinner and plenty of gifts.

“Just give them what we can and hopefully make them smile and take some stress off the parents shoulders and let them enjoy the holidays,” says Smith.