Durango Police Department’s annual Shop with a Cop program is slightly short on funds this year and is seeking donations to bring a happier holiday to underprivileged kids.
The program, an effort more than 20 years old funded through local donations, pairs police officers with local kids, who are given a $125 budget each to shop for clothes and toys at Walmart. This year, the department is about $4,000 short of its goal to help at least 100 kids.
Lt. Ed Aber, who coordinates the yearly event, said La Plata Electric Association as well as other businesses greatly closed the gap on the deficit in recent weeks.
“This is a community-supported program, and we have a wonderful community,” he said.
Donations are accepted until Dec. 14, the scheduled shopping day. On that day, Walmart opens a few registers specifically for the program, and kids can spend about $75 on clothes and $50 on toys.
In 2015, police raised $13,000, which funded gifts for 111 kids, and 63 local law enforcement officers participated.
“It’s such a fulfilling way to actually have an interaction with kids in a positive way,” Aber said. “A lot of the kids we interact with, their only experience with law enforcement is negative. It’s an opportunity to see a police officer as a person, and these families are in need. I’ve talked to some of the parents before, and if it wasn’t for Shop with a Cop, they wouldn’t have much of a Christmas. It’s an opportunity to give back.”
Children up to 16 are eligible if they are not already benefiting from another, similar charitable organization, such as Project Merry Christmas. Enrollment is done through the La Plata County Department of Human Services.
jpace@durangoherald.com
To donate
Those who want to donate to Shop with a Cop can drop checks off at the Durango Police Department at 990 East Second Ave. or mail them to the Fraternal Order of Police Durango Lodge No. 8, PO Box 2172, Durango.
