The holiday season is one of the most enjoyable times of the year, from spending Thanksgiving with family to buying special gifts for family at Christmas. For many families though, it may not be as joyous, and many kids may not receive the gifts they want. For those who are in need, the Ponca City Police Department (PCPD) steps in every year with the “Shop with a Cop” program to help deserving children find that special gift this Christmas.
The program has been a staple in the PCPD for many years, especially the past 10 years. Joshua Henderson and Ben Garrison are both Lieutenant Detectives and participate in the program each year.
“This is honestly one of the most enjoyable experiences of our year. You just get to go out and do something nice for people who appreciate it,” Henderson said.
The goal of the program is to provide Christmas gifts for kids in need.
“We know there are a lot of options for younger kids for donated Christmas gifts, so we focus on junior high and high school kids to see what they need at Christmastime,” Henderson said.
The PCPD works closely with Ponca City’s junior high and high school faculties to find the kids in current need.
“What we do is we’ll reach out to counselors in the junior highs and high school to see if there is anyone in their age group that might benefit from the program. Usually, we’ll serve younger siblings out of the group, as well,” Henderson said. “We’ll take other referrals, as well.”
Officers meet with the families that are identified as “in need” before the actual shopping experience. “We do reach out to the families and ask if they are interested,” Henderson said.
Money is donated to the PCPD Foundation by area businesses and other organizations, which will be used for the gifts. Those groups include ConocoPhillips, Soroptimists and the North Central Board of Realtors, as well as other businesses and private donations.
“The Foundation will go to Walmart and buy the gift cards, which in turn is what we use to purchase gifts,” Henderson said. “It is not uncommon for our own officers and employees to supplement the amount that we give them to buy extra gifts if a kid really needs it.”
Once the gift cards are purchased, the kids do indeed “shop with a cop” at Walmart.
“Last year, we had right at 100 kids we shopped and bought gifts with,” Henderson said.
There are a variety of reactions from the kids when they meet their elves, or police officers, when they go shopping.
“The kids usually show up and they don’t know how to act with us at first, because we’re a stranger, but then they figure out they get to go on a shopping spree with a police officer,” Henderson said. “Some kids go crazy; they just start grabbing things; and other kids are very methodical.”
Regardless of the style of searching for Christmas presents, they ultimately find what they want.
“We will walk with the child, and the child will be allowed to pick what they want for Christmas,” Henderson said.
While the kids shop for the gifts they want, there are also items purchased by the officers themselves to go above what the kids are looking for.
The children, and their families, have the most to gain with the program, and seeing the smiles and happiness resonating from their faces makes it worthwhile for everyone involved, those who are entirely grateful for the program.
“I run into parents years later and obviously don’t want to be in the situation,” Garrison said. “But they can at least look back and remember it as a happy moment during a difficult time.”
For the officers, it is a simple, humble activity to give back to the community, to help a child have a special Christmas they may otherwise not have had.
“This is not something we are required to do; this is something we want to do,” Henderson said. “We all genuinely love this. We look forward to doing it every year.”
