Citrus Heights police officers were out offering some “holiday cheer” this week, hand-delivering community donations to families in need and taking a few lucky students through Walmart for an annual “Shop with a Cop” event.
On Wednesday, 13 students were selected to “Shop with a Cop,” where each child was provided with free breakfast by Subway, followed by a trek through the Citrus Heights Walmart — each child armed with a free gift card and two uniformed police officers by their side.
“Some of the children were more focused on purchasing items for their siblings and parents, as opposed to items for themselves,” said CHPD Sergeant Mike Wells, adding that he and other officers were “touched” when they saw a 12-year-old girl use her gift card to buy socks for her mom and a bike for her little brother. “Although all the children involved had smiling faces, I think the officers involved in the event enjoy it just as much, if not more than the kids.”
Officers were also out the rest of the day delivering donated goods collected in November and December from the Citrus Heights Holiday Referral Program, a community-involved effort created to help families who experienced a hardship over the past year.
With lights flashing, and a stop or two to let CHPD officers show off on their motorcycles, police and city officials helped personally deliver donations to the 34 Citrus Heights families who had been identified for assistance this year, according to Sergeant Wells. Donations included clothing, food, toys, household items and 65 turkeys — donated by residents, neighborhood groups, and local businesses.
“Great Citrus Heights community partnerships is why we can help another family in the Citrus Heights community!!” the Department tweeted towards the end of the day’s deliveries. Police also thanked Walmart and Subway for their contributions to Wednesday’s giveaways.
