Fernandina Beach Police Department
Press Release
James T. Hurley, Chief
www.fbpd.us
December 2, 2019
The Fernandina Beach Police Department began its very successful Shop with Cops program in 2004 and we will hold our 16th annual event on Wednesday night, December 11th at the Amelia Island Walmart store. Once again we will provide for more than 150 local school children, creating a unique opportunity to shop with a police officer, while insuring that many of our underprivileged kids experience the joy of Christmas. In addition, our program highlights Christmas carols, refreshments, Christmas face painting, and an opportunity to have a photograph taken with Santa Claus.
This very special program provides an opportunity for children in our community to spend some valuable time with our uniformed police officers in a happy and positive environment. This kind of interaction is an important step in teaching some disaffected kids that police officers are guardians of the young and should be trusted in times of personal difficulty. We believe that this program has been a powerful relationship building success since its inception.
Donations are collected all year long and every penny donated translates directly to Christmas toys and much needed clothing. Our program participants are selected by local school guidance counselors, who make sure that only the truly needy are given the opportunity to participate in this special program.
Please consider donating to this very worthwhile community program. The program is administered by the Fernandina Beach Police Foundation, which is controlled by a Board of Directors comprised of Amelia Island residents. The Fernandina Beach Police Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations to the Shop with Cops program may be tax deductible.
Donations may be sent to: Shop with Cops, Fernandina Beach Police Foundation, 1525 Lime Street, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034.
There is no doubt that this program provides a strong measure of comfort and hope to many of our young people, as well as their parents and guardians. As we notice each year, many of these needy children put others ahead of themselves, demonstrating great compassion for loved ones and understanding for their own social condition. Many pass by traditional toys and games, opting for essential clothing and household items.
The community support has been inspirational for more than a decade, while it is my hope that our wonderful community continues to champion this worthy cause for many years to come. This program clearly benefits our community in ways that are difficult to measure.
A link to our most recent Shop with Cops images can be found on the Fernandina Beach Police Department Facebook page.