HAMDEN -- An active veteran, two firefighters and a police officer will be honored at the annual Hamden Community Service Awards dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Elks Lodge, 175 School St.

U.S. Army veteran and American Legion Post 88 Commander Fred McCarthy is the citizen of the year. Patrolman Stephen Baris is the outstanding police officer, and James McCarthy is the firefighter of the year. George Hindinger is being named volunteer firefighter of the year.

The evening will include dinner, cash bar and awards ceremony. The public is welcome. Tickets are $20 per person and are available at the Lodge evenings after 4 p.m. and by calling President Tim Mayer at 203-500-9246, Eileen Tozzo at 203-288-0455 or Bob Murphy at 203-641-9174.

The event is sponsored by the Hamden Elks, which serves Hamden and North Haven. Proceeds benefit the many youth and veterans projects and area charities.

Fred McCarthy has been Post 88 commander for seven years. He has been a member of the Hamden Veterans Commission for seven years and a member of the American Legion Department of Connecticut Personnel Committee.

He was instrumental in bringing the Vietnam Veterans Moving Wall to Hamden in 2007. He has coordinated the collection of nine tons of supplies to send to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fred has been responsible for arranging the yearly Christmas luncheon for the V.A. Errera Center in West Haven. He has supported the organization, No Veteran Left Behind, in Ansonia with clothing collections for homeless veterans. In conjunction with the Governor’s Foot Guard and the Hamden Elks Club, Fred arranged for Post 88 to hold a dinner for the American Warrior Project which raised enough money to send 18 WWII veterans to visit their memorial in Washington, D.C. Fred has worked on the town’s veterans’ tax exemption program which is now in place. He has also been active in obtaining funding for the rehabilitation of the Veterans Memorial Pavilion at Brooksvale Park in Hamden. Fred has been involved in assisting more than 100 veterans in obtaining their enrollment and benefits in the Veterans Administration.

Fred has lived in Hamden for more than 30 years with his wife, Kay, and their dogs. In the warmer months, he’s very active in his garden.

Officer Baris grew up in West Orange, N.J. and moved to Milford in 1993. He attended the University of New Haven. He became a Milford police officer in 1999 at 21 years old. In 2002, he transferred to the Hamden. Baris has worked in the patrolm street crime and was assigned to the FBI Safe Streets Gang/Violent Crimes Task Force for 14 months. He is a certified field training officer and is a member of the Emergency Services Unit and the Hamden Police Honor Guard. He has received numerous commendations, several unit citations, and letters of recognition and received a United States Attorney award for a case worked while assigned to the FBI.

Stephen resides in Oxford with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, who will become a big sister in March.

Firefighter McCarthy was a junior member of the Madison Hose Company of the Madison Volunteer Fire Department at the age of 16. He was hired by New Haven Fire Department in 1998 and served as firefighter/paramedic until he was hired by Hamden in 2001. Jay was previously assigned to Engine 2/Rescue 2 and Squad Co. 1. He is currently assigned to Engine 5, Rescue 1 on Whitney Avenue.

He was a certified emergency medical technician and has been a state certified paramedic since 1995. He graduated from the New Haven Fire Academy in 1999 and has attended the New Haven Sponsor Hospital Paramedic Program.

Jay has worked as an EMT for Madison Ambulance; as an EMT then paramedic for American Medical Response and is a member of the New Haven County Firefighters Emerald Society. He lives in Madison with his wife and son.

Hindinger joined the Dunbar Hill Fire Company No. 8 in 1978 following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather who was a founding member of the company. He has served in every line officer position and has been captain for 20 years. He holds various Connecticut certifications and has also participated in training classes at the National Fire Academy in Maryland.

George, along with his family, have owned and operated Hindinger Farm, a 120-acre fruit and vegetable operation on Dunbar Hill Road, since 1893. He serves on the board of and is a member of many various agricultural organizations.

George and his wife have two grown children.