A total of 23 local families will have a better Christmas this year thanks to the West Liberty Police Department’s seventh annual “Shop with a Cop” event, held Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Organizer Kim Halphin Parker said the department simply puts the word out to raise money and get volunteers to help with the program, “and the community always comes through.”
“The community rallies around us,” she said, noting volunteers come from the schools, other law enforcement agencies, community organizations and volunteer. This year, for the first time, even volunteers from the West Liberty Fire Department.
“We’ve never had anything lacking,” she said, noting the community has always been generous in supporting the program from day one when former police chief Kary Kingmont and Parker put together the program in 2017.
Each West Liberty student, selected from grades one through eight, is given $300 to spend for their families at the Muscatine Wal-Mart, who provides not only a 10 percent discount on the shopping spree, but the items become tax exempt because of it’s not-for-profit status.
“You can see the sparkle in their eyes,” said Police Chief Joshua Houser, noting the youngsters may pick out one gift for themselves, but basically go shopping for the entire family. He said one list included bath towels, and one youngster even requested a bed for herself and her brother.
The students are selected by a “team of people” that includes school nurse Kayla Morrison, according to Parker, selecting students for good behavior, hardship need, and “Are just overall great kids.”
Chief Houser said there will also be a less public program for high school students as well this year, trying to keep the shopping trip more personal.
Houser praised the help of five Wilton police officers in volunteering to shop with the youngsters, as well as an Iowa State Trooper, and members of the West Liberty Fire Department, which included three cadets.
But Parker said the shopping portion of the event doesn’t end when they leave Wal-Mart, noting West Liberty High School students, including about 25 IJAG (Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates) students came out to the West Liberty Community Center to wrap and sort the gifts, making sure the right gifts stayed with the right shopping child.
All were treated to a pizza party, courtesy of Papa Johns, Paul Revere and Casey’s General Store, and participating youngsters got a chance to play games with police officers after lunch.
Parker said funding not only comes from donations by businesses, individuals and organizations, but noted the West Liberty United Methodist Church held a lasagna luncheon during the Christmas open house to aid the cause. Other businesses, including Winks Bar & Grill, held fundraisers.
Houser said the fund grew by about $17,000 this year, far more than is needed to conduct the program, but said funds are typically held back annually in case they’re needed, or the economy changes, causing a lack of donations. “We never want to empty the piggy bank,” Parker said.
Elementary School Principal Kirk Ryan called it “an absolutely wonderful program, noting the district is very careful about who is picked, noting some students may have suffered a recent loss of a family member or other personal tragedies.
“It’s a wonderful way of helping families in the community that need help,” Ryan said, calling it a “testimony to the type of community we have” in making it happen. He said the basic goal is to ensure the students and their families have a “wonderful Christmas.”
Parker says the community deserves “a big thank you” for their support of the program from it’s very start.