It’s the kind of news that Berrien County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Robert Boyce loves to dispatch. A resounding success for his team’s annual “Shop with a Cop” program.
Yesterday, Saturday December 14th, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Unit held their 2019 “Shop with a Cop” program at the Niles area Walmart store.
Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Unit members Kimberly Fedison and Katie Bauer spent countless volunteer hours organizing the event, making it possible for the Reserve team to obtain more than $6,000 in donations to cover the costs of the event.
This year the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Unit partnered with the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Chaplains, the Berrien County Animal Control Office, the Berrien Springs – Oronoko Township Police Department, the Saint Joseph Department of Public Safety, the Benton Harbor Area Boys & Girls Club, and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Sworn Deputies to make this year’s “Shop with a Cop” program a success.
The Reserve Unit along with the partner agencies and organizations assisted eight families and 22 children by allowing the children to shop for Christmas gifts for themselves, their family members, and their friends. In addition to providing the funding to allow the children to shop, the Berrien County Sheriff’s office Reserve Unit also provided holiday food baskets, Christmas Trees, and gift cards to the eight families, so they could enjoy a wonderful holiday feast, have a colorful holiday celebration with gifts under the tree, as well as enabling them to purchase a “special gift” for their entire families to enjoy.
The eight families and children were from the Niles area, the Berrien Springs area, the New Buffalo area, and the Benton Harbor area.
The “shopping” consisted of the families and children being adopted by law enforcement officers and then proceeding through the entire Walmart store to select and purchase the gifts they desired for themselves and their loved ones.
After the shopping spree, the Reserve Unit members and the members of the partner agencies and organizations took the children and their families to Michiana Christian Embassy in Niles for snacks and gift wrapping with members of that organization.
The eight families and their children were referred to the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office by various schools and civic organizations, who felt they could use the assistance this year.
Prior to conducting the shopping spree, the children also had the opportunity to have their picture taken with McGruff the Crime Fighting Canine.
The following businesses and civic organizations donated money, goods, and services to the event. Without their donations, the Reserve Unit and their partner agencies and organizations would not have been able to assist the families and their children.
- Niles area Walmart
- Pike Funeral Home & Cremation Services
- Michiana Christian Embassy
- Honor Credit Union
- Wightman
- A. Dodd
- Lane Automotive
- Michiana Recycling & Disposal
- Midwest Waste Solutions
- Milano Pizza of Niles
- Thrive Psychology
- Conybeare Law Office
- Red Bud Recreation Inc.
- Fort Miami CrossFit
- Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Unit
- Friends of Berrien Springs
The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Unit Deputies takes great pride in assisting families that need assistance especially during the holiday season. Deputy Boyce says, “The smiles of gratitude on the faces of these children and the ‘hugs’ provided by the adults and children to the Deputies and Officers are something that the Deputies and Officers will always remember.”
Sheriff Paul Bailey and the administrative staff at the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office voiced extreme pride over the efforts put forth by the Reserve Unit for this great cause as well as all of their volunteer hours they donate to the County and the local municipalities throughout the year, to ensure that the County, its local communities, and the surrounding areas are a great place to live and to visit.
