Six underprivileged families were treated to a holiday gift buying experience at the Walmart Supercenter on Dec. 23 as part of the “Shop with a Cop” tradition.
According to Ceres Police Officer Julio Amador, each child was allowed to spend $150 and each parent was given $100 to select items – whether it be for household needs or gifts.
Families were referred by Family Promise of Greater Modesto and generally included those families who are trying to get back on their feet, from the homeless to those seeking permanent housing, said Amador.
Approximately eight Ceres Police officers assisted the families in keeping tabs on the dollar amount of items selected and in some instances helped plucked items off the shelves that were out-of-reach of the children.
In some cases, families chose necessities over gifts.
“We don’t really steer them one way or another, per se, but we love it when kids get some gifts too,” said Ceres Police Sgt. Dirk Nieuwenheis.
Officer Amador noted that some families who haven’t been able to afford luxury items get a chance to buy gaming systems or a TV for each kid.
“But we’ve also seen it where they’re buying basic staples, food, groceries, things that are gonna help them stay ahead for the month and then we try to steer them to get the kids something too,” said Officer Amador, who has been with the “Shop with a Cop” program for 13 years.
Dunkin’ Donuts added to the experience by offering donuts for all the families.
The first “Shop with a Cop” event in Ceres was held for needy families in 2012.
Earlier in the day a small army of volunteers gathered at the Ceres Community Center to wrap the hundreds of gifts donated to the Beards for Kids program organized by the Ceres Police Department. The gifts were donated by the public and collected at the police headquarters and at barrels placed at various businesses like Sam’s Café, the Drip Coffee Shop. Distribution took place when officers boarded the Ceres Police SWAT truck to bring the gifts into the neighborhoods of Darrah Street, the Vineyard Apartment and 1625 Richland Avenue and Casa Grande Village Apartments.
“The community was very generous,” said Ceres Police Chief Trenton Johnson. “We had a guy drop off a truckload at the Police Department. There was a lot of stuff.”
Others donated money to buy gifts, many who wanted to remain anonymous.
“That’s the type of businesses in the city – people who don’t want the recognition, they just want to help the community,” Chief Johnson added.
