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Shop With a Cop taking donations

Shop With a Cop is now taking donations.

"It's a program where the cops get together and we help children with families who might be having a hard time getting some Christmas gifts together," SPD Officer Jennifer Woodis said. "Maybe they lost a job or there's a sickness."

The program, through Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 43, is completely donation-based.

"Last year we had five kids and we had $500. Each kid got $100 and they got a wishlist for their family," Woodis said. "They go out and purchase gifts for their other family members, not for themselves."

Community youths were taken to Walmart last year for shopping, and after to Cabela's, which provided lunch and a room for wrapping the gifts.

"We were able to go up and have lunch with the kids sit and talk with them, see how their lives are going, everything like that, while our police explorers group wrap all the presents for them," Woodis said.

The gifts are then taken to the family's home. It is a happy ending.

"They have gifts under their tree, we get one-on-one time with children, the cops have a blast and the kids have a blast," Woodis said. "It's so much fun."

The experience of shopping with the local youths is an exciting one, SPD Chief Joe Aikens said.

"They're hanging out with a law enforcement officer," he said. "They're out in a public venue and getting gifts for their family members that, in normal circumstances, they might not have been able to do without the help of the FOP and the Sidney Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies."

It is just as just as exciting for the officers, Woodis said.

"You could see the looks on the kids' faces," she said. "It's just as much fun for the officers, too, to be able to hang out with these kids from our community when there's no negative connotation at all. It's just fun, it's relaxing and we find out so much about these kids. It's very rewarding on both sides."

There are three ways the community can contribute to the program, Woodis said: business owners can hang up flyers to help promote the effort; people can offers ideas for families who may need help this year or can pick up an application to bring to a family; and through monetary donations, which are tax deductible.

"They can come down to the police department drop off that donation and they'll receive a receipt like that so they can write it off on their taxes," she said.

Donations are collected year-round to provide for the program.

"Our first year, we had five kids. The more money we raise, the more joy we can bring to families throughout the community," Aikens said. "The more money we have in the account, the more kids we can help."

For FOP, SPD and the Cheyenne County Sheriff's Office, it is an honor to inspire joy in the community at the holidays, Aikens said.

"It's always nice to interact with the public in a positive, upbeat way, versus the way we normally get to meet the public," he said. "Usually we only talk to people in the worst times of their lives and this is a good time to do it when spirits are a little more higher."

Shop With a Cop will take place on Dec. 10, with a deadline for applications on Dec. 1.

 

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