Hiram – While 2020 has meant changes to our schedules, with events postponed or cancelled altogether, to the delight of a dozen families in the Crestwood and J. A. Garfield School Districts, the annual Shop with a Cop program took place this year, albeit in a slightly different manner.
To minimize exposure and the potential chance of contracting or infecting anyone with COVID-19, the army of volunteers who typically assist the children with shopping for and wrapping up gifts were not able to lend their services during this unprecedented year. “Due to COVID-19 and Portage County being in Purple Status Health Advisory, we felt that it was in the best interest to complete the shopping and wrapping of the gifts ourselves this year.” Gregory added, “It is very disappointing for us to miss out on the excitement while shopping directly with the children,” he noted, but explained that helping to make the season brighter for area families, especially given the difficulty of this year, was a gift in itself.
“We hold this is a very special program dear to our hearts,” explained Hiram Police Chief Brian Gregory. He explained that former Hiram Police Chief Ed Samec began the program eight years ago in an effort to build bonds between local officers and some of the children and families they serve. “’Shop with a Cop’ builds a bond that is essential to community policing; the program also provides much needed holiday cheer for deserving families experiencing hardship,” Chief Gregory continued. “There should be no child that feels the sense of confusion and the feeling of going without during the holiday season,” he added.
As in previous years, the Hiram and Garrettsville Police Departments reached out to both Garfield and Crestwood School nurses and guidance counselors to choose six families from each district that may need some Christmas shopping assistance. This year for the safety of the families and officers, the children and families supplied the departments with their wish lists via email, while the departments handled the shopping and wrapping. This week, each family will schedule a time to visit the Departments to pick up their special sack of wrapped gifts.
