By Taylor Boyd
The Patrick County Sheriff’s Office fifth annual ‘Shop With a Cop’ project received a funding boost with recent donations but more are needed to help youngsters, according to Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith.
Charles Hamm, president of the Eagles Club 4007 of Patrick County, said the Eagles Club exists to help those in need in Patrick County as he recently donated $500 to the project on behalf of the club. Hamm also presented a second $500 check on behalf of Roger Huffman of Powerhouse Gaming.
“Acts of generosity like this make me proud to be a Patrick Countian,” Smith said, and added he is humbled by all donations made to the program which provided Christmas gifts to many children who would otherwise be forgotten.
Donations and applicationsare being accepted for the annual program now, according to Smith and Patrick County Sheriff’s investigator Brian Hubbard.
Authorities explained that youngsters selected to participate in the program are paired with a law enforcement officer while shopping for Christmas.
“Last year was a great year. We got to help 78 children. We spent over $9,000, all was 100 percent donated money towards these kids,” Hubbard said.
He estimated $120 is allotted to each youngster selected for the program. Youngsters spend the money during an annual shopping outing at Wal-Mart.
“The money is only used on the children, not for things like T-shirts for participants,” Hubbard said, and added that one requirement of the project is that the kids have to spent half of the money on clothing. “Other than that, we let them buy any kind of toys. We’ve had kids buy food. We had one kid buy a suit and a Bible one year. We do have kids that want to go in there and buy something for their grandmothers and stuff like that,” he said.
Partnering with a cop as a shopping buddyis “really good because they get to interact with the officers and see that we’re people too, we have feelings, and we’re just here to help,” Hubbard said.
Headded that the program is probably not going to follow this model due to COVID-19. “We’re probably going to let the children do a wish list and work with Wal-Mart and deliver it to their house,” he said.
But authorities are working to figure out how to maintain as much interaction between the children and the officers as possible during the pandemic.
“I think that with the mask regulations and staying 6-foot apart, we can still have some interactions and talk with the children,” Hubbard said, and added that during a house fire earlier this year, a “little girl actually told one of the investigators ‘there’s the cop that was Santa Claus last year for me and bought me all this stuff.’”
Interactions like that make officers want to continue doing the project, he said.
“The interactions we get to have with children and hopefully brighten their day or their year is what means the most. This kid remembered that from a year ago,” Hubbard said.
“The program has grown every year, and our numbers are getting better and better every year,” he said, adding it was due to the program becoming more well-known in the county.
“We also use community outreach, and I contact all the schools and Christmas Cheer. Sometimes their list gets full and they can’t help anyone after a certain date. We’ll try to take the ones left over from there,” he said.
In person donations to the program are accepted at the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office or by mail to Patrick County Sheriff’s Office, P.O. Box 128 Stuart Va., 24171. Write ‘Shop with a Cop’ on the memo line of the check or money order.
For more information on how to donate or nominate a child call (276) 694-3161 and ask for Hubbard, message the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, or email bhubbard@sherif.co.patrick.va.us.
