Paulding County Sheriff's Department - 13th Annual Cops for Kids
By: Samantha Parrish
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Make a difference.” It’s something we hear year-round, but especially during the holidays. For Paulding County’s finest, it truly is something they live by.
In 1998 the Paulding County Sheriff’s Department founded Cops for Kids to make that difference we all speak of. Cops for Kids is a holiday gift program serving the less fortunate children of Paulding County. Their goal is to help promote positive police interaction with these children and to try and give them a chance for a Merry Christmas.
Each year, when the children arrive for a shopping day, they are paired with a Deputy who will then take them to a designated store on a pre-selected Saturday where they then get to pick out toys that they have on their wish lists.
When they first began, the Sheriff’s Department sought to take twenty children shopping for Christmas gifts that they otherwise wouldn’t have received. Last year, in 2009, they took 260 children shopping!
In the twelve years this program has existed, over 1600 children have gone shopping with our boys and girls in brown. This year the Deputies hope to take 225 kids. However, because of the continued support of their contributors, they have met and exceeded these goals every year.
Sounds like fun, right? It is only through the generous support of local businesses and private donations that this program has been such a huge success. Now you’re asking, “how can I get involved?’ It’s easy; simply make a donation. All donations are tax deductible and all monies raised go directly to the children of Paulding County, as there are no operating expenses.
Although they do accept donations of new toys, monetary donations are truly what they need. If you would like to donate or find out more information contact Sgt. Tracy Parker at 770-443-3016 or 770-443-3010 or email at tparker@paulding.gov. You can mail your donation, payable to the "Paulding County Cops for Kids" to the Paulding County Sheriff's Office, Attention Lt. Dee Morris, 247 Industrial Way North, Dallas, Georgia 30132.
The Paulding County Sheriff’s Department would like to extend a big “THANK YOU” to all of those who have donated in the past or if this is the first time donating, because if it were not for their generosity all of this would not be possible.