Sentinel staff report–
With flashing lights and sirens blaring Thursday afternoon, a convoy of police vehicles traveled through Citrus Heights to bring gifts to the homes of several in-need families, as well as to children at the Sayonara Center.
“It’s just a wonderful opportunity for us to connect with our community in a very special and meaningful way,” said Citrus Heights Police Chief Ron Lawrence, while standing in front of the Sayonara Center following the gift drop. “There was one family that literally said they would not have had a Christmas if it had not been for the gifts they received from us. It’s a very humbling honor for us to be able to do this.”
The gift drop was part of the city’s annual Holiday Referral Program, which seeks to provide in-need families with food, household items, clothes and toys for children. Gift donations are collected by social clubs, business groups, churches, schools, and community members.
Lawrence said more than 60 police personnel, along with volunteers and city staff, participated in Thursday’s event. The city’s newly appointed mayor, Jeannie Bruins, was also among the participants.
“We surprised a whole lot of kids, made two families very very happy, tears were shed, big smiles, lots of hugs — and just brought some Christmas cheer to some families that really needed to have it,” Bruins told The Sentinel.
Newly elected Councilwoman Porsche Middleton also joined the convoy, saying she was honored to help bring a smile to some faces before the holidays. “It reminds me of what this community was built on and things that are important to us, like family, and being together and remembering what’s important in life,” she said.
Middleton also recalled the excitement of a young boy who was handed a bundle of socks outside the Sayonara Center and thought he could only take one pair of socks. “Something as simple as socks,” she said. “He thought he could only take one sock, and I was like, no, you can take the whole pack.”
Each year the police department accepts referral applications from community members who refer local families they believe have experienced a recent hardship. Police then work to select qualified families who will benefit from the program, with several families selected for a personalized gift drop. This year’s program benefited 22 families, police said.
Brad Howard, whose family has lived on Sayonara Drive for two-and-a-half years, said the annual police gift drop is always looked forward to around Christmas time. He also said despite Sayonara Drive’s negative reputation in the past, he feels safe living in the neighborhood and credits efforts by the police department and city for the progress.
“Streets like this are the areas where you probably have a tendency to have the least trust in the police department, so it’s good they come down here and make an effort,” said Howard. “I like the fact that they want to get out and meet the community.”
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