dev.citrusheightssentinel.com

Tag: holiday referral program

  • CHPD seeks donations, referrals to help in-need families during holidays

    CHPD seeks donations, referrals to help in-need families during holidays

    Holiday Referral Program
    Officers drop off items to kids at the Sayonara Center during the 2016 Holiday Referral gift drop-off. // CH Sentinel

    Sentinel staff report–
    November is here, and that means the Citrus Heights Police Department and City of Citrus Heights are again partnering with a variety of community groups and businesses to provide gifts to in-need families this holiday season.

    The annual community effort is now in its 10th year and seeks to provide assistance to families residing in Citrus Heights who “have experienced a hardship or critical event in their life over the past year that has caused a significant change in their financial abilities,” according to an Oct. 30 news release from the police department. Last year, police said the program assisted over 35 families, including 263 children and 87 adults, and enlisted the help of more than 90 service and social clubs, business groups, churches, schools, and community members.

    View flier: click here

    As a referral-based program, the department accepts applications from community members who refer local families that have been through a recent hardship. Referrals are accepted from Nov. 1-16 this year, via an online application or hard copy form available at the police department’s front desk.

    Qualifying families are provided with food, household items, clothes and toys for children. Several families are also selected to have the gifts delivered by a police convoy — an annual high-profile trek through the city filled with flashing lights, dozens of police officers and their families, and Citrus Heights leaders.

    VIDEO: Citrus Heights police convoy delivers Christmas gifts to kids, families

    Donations for the 2018 program will be accepted from Nov. 19 through Dec. 21 at the Citrus Heights Police Department, located at 6315 Fountain Square Drive. Drop-off hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Local businesses are also being asked to adopt a family or place donation bins in their stores.

    Additional information and application forms are available at www.citrusheightspd.net. Questions can be emailed to holidayreferral@citrusheights.net, or (916) 727-5564.

  • CHPD seeks donations for annual ‘Holiday Referral Program’

    Citrus Heights police holiday referral program
    Officer Dave Jones, left, joins a team in delivering Holiday Referral donations in 2013. Photo courtesy, CHPD.

    The Citrus Heights Police Department, Police Activities League (PAL) and the City of Citrus Heights are again partnering with a variety of community groups and businesses to provide gifts to in-need families this holiday season.

    The annual community effort specifically seeks to provide assistance to families residing in Citrus Heights “who have had a financial or other hardship in 2016,” Police Lt. Jason Russo said in a news release. Last year, police said the program assisted over 50 families and enlisted the help of more than 50 service and social clubs, business groups, churches, schools, and community members.

    Now in its eighth year, police said the community-involved program was created to provide participating families with food, household items, clothes and toys for the children. Each year the department accept referral applications from the community who refer local families who they believe have experienced a recent hardship.

    Several families are also selected to have the gifts delivered by a police convoy. Last year’s gift delivery involved a convoy of more than a dozen police vehicles with flashing lights, two dozen police officers and their families, and the Citrus Heights mayor.

    [From last year: Citrus Heights police convoy delivers Christmas gifts to kids, families]

    Donations for the 2016 program are accepted through Monday, Dec. 19. Items can be dropped off at the Citrus Heights Police Department, located at 6315 Fountain Square Dr. Drop-off hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

    Questions can be emailed to holidayreferral@citrusheights.net, or (916) 727-5565.

  • Citrus Heights police convoy delivers Christmas gifts to kids, families

    police, Christmas gift delivery
    A screenshot from a video of Citrus Heights police delivering gifts to families, Tuesday. Video below.

    Updated Dec. 23, 12:25 p.m.–
    With flashing lights and sirens blaring, nearly two dozen police officers were joined by their families, community members and the mayor of Citrus Heights, to hand-deliver Christmas gifts to families in need around the city, Tuesday.

    The deliveries were part of an annual police-led community effort called the Holiday Referral Program, which benefited around 30 families this year — four of whom were selected for the special drop-off’s conducted on Tuesday.

    “It really sets the tone for the Christmas season,” said Mayor Jeannie Bruins, highlighting an experience dropping off gifts on Sayonara Drive. “When the mom in the house grabbed hold of me and, crying with tears in her eyes, said that we had no idea how much this meant to their family. That was the best time for everybody.”

    “That was the mayor?” A surprised Christopher Garcia asked an officer after overhearing Mayor Bruins had been inside his home with the gift delivery group. He said the mayor and police had dropped off new bikes and other gifts for his family.

    Garcia recalled having a shocked reaction when a line of police officers and other community members filed into his home on Pompei Court, around 5 p.m. Tuesday. The 19-year-old said his mom had told him a group of police officers were coming, but he was surprised to see such a large team arrive to drop off presents.

    “It was cool. My little brothers got to see all these presents come,” Garcia said, standing next to his eight-year-old and 12-year-old siblings. “They’re pretty happy about them.”

    The annual program is coordinated with the Citrus Heights Police Activities League and relies heavily on community and business donations, including a grant from Walmart, according to police. To be considered for the program, referred families must have “experienced a hardship or critical event in their life over the past year that has caused a significant change in their financial abilities,” according to a referral form.

    [follow text=”Get local news:”]

    “At the end of the day, we’re all human beings with families,” said police spokesman Det. Wesley Herman, explaining why the Department conducts annual gift drops each December. “We come across a lot of individuals during our work that we recognize sometimes are very deserving, but may not have the means necessary to provide the kind of Christmas they want for their families.”

    Citrus Heights police also host an annual “Shop with a cop” event for kids at the Auburn Boulevard Walmart. This year, more than twenty uniformed police officers grabbed a shopping cart and took 14 local students on the annual $100 gift-shopping spree on Dec. 16.

    Note: See video coverage below and prior story for context: Holiday police program benefits needy Citrus Heights families

  • Citrus Heights This Week: what’s happening in town (Nov.15-21)

    Citrus Heights This Week: what’s happening in town (Nov.15-21)

    Updated Nov. 17, 8:25 a.m.–
    This week’s local happenings include seven public hearings, a few seasonal events, and a City workshop on improving walkability around Citrus Heights. Here’s what’s on schedule:

    MONDAY, Nov. 16–
    Holiday Referral Program donation period begins.     From Nov. 16 through Dec. 21, the Citrus Heights Police Department will be accepting unwrapped gift donations to help local families who struggled with a hardship in the past year. Donations can be dropped off at the Department Monday through Friday at 6315 Fountain Square Dr., or Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Individuals can also recommend families to benefit from the program by filling out a referral form through Nov. 20. (See full story)

    TUESDAY, Nov. 17–
    City Strategic Planning Retreat.     Open to the public, the city council will hold a Strategic Planning Retreat at the Citrus Heights Community Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Held every six months, council members will review and assess strengths, weaknesses, and accomplishments of the City, and identify six-month objectives for achieving three-year goals. (See agenda)

    Pedestrian Master Plan Workshop. Another City-hosted workshop will be held at the Citrus Heights Community Center on Nov. 17, designed to give residents an opportunity to provide input on the development of a 30-year master plan to improve sidewalks and walkability in Citrus Heights. The meeting will be from 5 to 7 p.m., with a short presentation about the plan scheduled to begin at 5:15 p.m. A nine-question online survey related to the plan has also been launched. (See flier)

    [City Survey Link: Pedestrian improvements in Citrus Heights]

    Water district public hearings: The Citrus Heights Water District is scheduled to hold four public hearings Tuesday night, including a hearing on a proposed water rate increase for those served by CHWD. The three other hearings to be held the same night regard CHWD’s proposed 2016 operating and capital improvements budget, capacity charges, and renewal of the District’s temporary water shortage rate structure. The District’s three-member board is expected to make decisions on all items, following the hearings. The hearings will all be held at the Rusch Park Community Center at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. (See agenda packet)

    WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18–
    Planning Commission hearings: Verizon tower, Bikeway plan, Auburn Blvd project.      Planning commissioners are scheduled to hold a public hearing on a “Mitigated Negative Declaration” environmental report for Phase II of the City’s Auburn Boulevard revitalization project, which stretches from Grand Oaks Avenue to the Roseville border. They will also hold hearings on a proposed Verizon cell tower at the Chuck E. Cheese’s shopping area, and the City’s updated Bikeway Master Plan. The hearings will take place at 7 p.m. in the Citrus Heights Community Center. (See agenda packet)

    FRIDAY, Nov. 20–
    Photos with Santa.     Kicking off on Nov. 20 and continuing through Dec. 24, ‘Ol Saint Nick will be out at Sunrise Mall, with photo opportunities for those willing to pay for a picture package. (Details)

    [follow text=”Get local news:”]

    SATURDAY, Nov. 21–
    Craft fair    . The Citrus Heights Lions club will hold it annual craft fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday, promising dozens of handcrafted vendors, homemade baked goods, and a visit from Santa Claus. The craft fair will be held at the Citrus Heights Community Center, at 6300 Fountain Square Dr. (Link)

    Marching Band performance. The Citrus Heights Community Marching Band will be playing in the neighboring city of Roseville, during their 2015 Holiday Parade. The 54th annual parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and travel along Roseville’s historic Vernon Street. (See band calendar)

  • Holiday police program benefits needy Citrus Heights families

    Citrus Heights police holiday referral program
    Officer Dave Jones, left, joins a team in delivering bags filled with Holiday Referral donations last year. Photo courtesy, CHPD.

    Updated Dec. 16, 5:44 p.m.–
    Kicking off the season of giving, the Citrus Heights Police Department announced it is again partnering with the community this year through its annual Holiday Referral Program — a community-involved effort created to help families who experienced a hardship over the past year.

    “Our goal is to give [in-need families] a very nice holiday Christmas along with presents and a Christmas meal,” said Police Support Services Manager Sandy Maraviov. She called the annual program “fantastic” and said 90 adults and 314 kids were helped last year, after being referred by community members.

    Now in its seventh year, police said the program has brought together dozens of business groups, churches, schools, and residents to help donate food, household items, toys and clothes – with donations again being sought this year. The Department said in a recent news release that it “[relies] heavily on the community to help make the effort a success,” and encouraged local businesses to place donation bins in their lobbies for collecting new toys, clothes and other items.

    Last year, police and City officials helped personally deliver donated items, which included 65 turkeys. The same day, 13 lucky students were also given free gift cards and were taken on a trip to Walmart for CHPD’s annual “Shop with a Cop” event.

    [From last year: Police hand out ‘holiday cheer’ to Citrus Heights families, kids]

    To be considered for the program, referred families must have “experienced a hardship or critical event in their life over the past year that has caused a significant change in their financial abilities.” Maraviov said citizens or businesses wishing to take responsibility for assisting a referred family this season can also request to “adopt a family” for the Holiday program.

    [follow text=”Follow local news:”]

    Donations will be accepted inside the police department until Dec. 21, at 6315 Fountain Square Dr. Drop-off hours are between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Items must be unwrapped, and used or expired items will not be accepted.

    Those interested in volunteering or adopting a family are invited to email holidayreferral@citrusheights.net, or call (916) 727-5500. Referral applications are available at www.CitrusHeightsPD.net.

  • Police hand out ‘holiday cheer’ to Citrus Heights families, kids

    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.

    Shop with a cop, citrus heights police department.
    Citrus Heights police tweeted this photo of officers helping push a child’s cart through Walmart during the Department’s “Shop with a Cop” event, Wednesday.

    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.

  • Donations sought for Citrus Heights ‘Holiday Referral’ program

    gift
    Photo credit: Flickr commons, asenat29.

    Updated Nov. 28, 3:35 p.m.–
    The City of Citrus Heights is partnering with the community this year to help provide food, household items, toys and clothes to families in need through its annual Holiday Referral Program.

    “This unique community-involved program was created to help families who have experienced a hardship or critical event in their life over the past year,” said Citrus Heights Police Department Sergeant Mike Wells in a press release about the program. “We rely heavily on the community to help make the effort a success.”

    Last year, organizers said the program brought together over 40 clubs, business groups, churches, schools and residents to help nearly 400 adults and children in Citrus Heights — and are again seeking those willing to donate items, adopt a family or volunteer this year.

    “This year we are encouraging Citrus Heights businesses to work with their employee teams to either collect donations for our program or adopt a family,” said Wells. “We are looking for businesses to also place donation bins in their lobbies for collecting new toys, clothes, etc.”

    Organizers are also seeking to identify families who need assistance, and invite community members to nominate a qualifying family by submitting a referral form to the police department. Although originally having a deadline of November 21, police say referrals will be accepted through November 28, with donations accepted through December 15.

    Donations can be dropped off at the Citrus Heights Police Department at 6315 Fountain Square Dr. between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Organizers say used or expired items will not be accepted.

    Those with questions or who are interested in adopting a family can email holidayreferral@citrusheights.net, or call (916) 727-5500.