Officers help kids holiday shop
(pictured above: Assistant Police Chief Connie Southern helps a young man shop.)
Police and firefighters took youth from The Children’s Home on a holiday shopping spree at Target on University Parkway on Friday, Dec. 12.
The “Heroes and Helpers” event started after an early morning breakfast at the store, courtesy of Chik-Fil-A. After all were satiated, 17 kids were coupled with a public safety officer. The pairs set off through the store, pushing one of Target’s signature red shopping carts.
Each child was provided with a $150 gift card, provided by the WSPD and Target, and could purchase whatever caught their fancy.
“It’s just one way we can work with the community,” said Police Chief Barry Rountree, who was on hand for the event but had to leave for another event after the shopping commenced. “We understand not all people in the community are as fortunate as some of us are.”
In addition to Heroes and Helpers, the Winston-Salem Police Department also recently held its “Stuff the Patrol Car” initiative at the Walmart on Hanes Mill Road to collect new toys for needy families. The WSPD will also be providing precooked meals for some needy families this holiday season.
“All our interactions are not arresting people,” he said. “Most of what we do is service, so this is one branch of our service to the community.”
Winston-Salem Fire Department Chief Antony Farmer, who also dropped in, said Heroes and Helpers was a “humble and noble” thing for police and firefighters to do.
Police Chief Barry Rountree with Fire Chief Antony Farmer.
“It speaks good for our department and our city, and I hope we keep doing it,” said Farmer, who is retiring at the end of the month.
Many of the young shoppers made a beeline to the electronics section of the store to explore video games, movies and hi-tech gizmos. Clothing was also a popular choice. Officers, aided by the calculators on their cell phones, helped the kids stay within their $150 budget and made helpful suggestions on how they could get the most for their money.
The teenage girl teamed with Winston-Salem Fire Department Investigator Angela Richardson bought lots of clothes for her one-year-old daughter. She said Richardson was a “big help” by helping her get
Richardson
everything she needed with $10 to spare. It was Richardson’s second year as a Hero and Helper.
Her reason for volunteering is simple: “To see the joy on the kids faces while we’re shopping,” she said.
Southern
As Assistant Police Chief Connie Southern waited patiently outside a dressing room for her teenage charge to try on a pair of pants, she said it was her first time participating in the program.
“It’s a great cause,” she said. “To me, the whole spirit of Christmas is giving and sharing. It gives these individuals an opportunity they might not otherwise have. It’s just a way that the police and fire department can give back to the community.”
Sgt. E.D. Branshaw helps his teen shop.
For many of the youth, it wasn’t their first encounter with law enforcement. Often, participation in Children’s Home programs are court ordered and some had had other skirmishes.
The teen boy with Officer R.K. Griffin said his arrest hadn’t left him with positive feelings about police. The shopping experience helped him see them in a different light.
“It makes me think they ain’t all that bad,” he said.
Griffin
Griffin is a Heroes and Helpers veteran, having taken part three times.
“It’s a side of policing that we don’t get to see every single day,” he said. “It helps a lot of us, hopefully, see that exactly it is what we came to do this job for to start off with.”
Tonya Atkins, Children’s Home vice president of philanthropy and organizational development, said she was grateful for the community support that made the event possible.
“It’s about kids, seeing them excited about Christmas,” she said. “Children get so involved in Christmas, a lot of our children have been through so much they may not be able to experience a typical Christmas.”
The Children’s Home’s (backrow, from left) Tyshun Frazier, Sherri Galloway, Sunday Mayes and DacianJ with (front row) Tara Allen, Tonya Atkins and Curtis Lipscomb.
The Children’s Home serves about 120-125 youth on any given day and tries to make sure each has a joyous Christmas. The children make a Christmas wish list. The Children’s Home works to secure companies, organizations and individuals to fulfill those wishes.
