On Tuesday, December 17th, law enforcement officers from Saline County will participate in the Shop With Our Cops program at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Benton. This program was started in 1998 by the Saline County Chaplains Association in conjunction with the following police departments; Alexander, Bauxite, Benton, Bryant,Haskell, Shannon Hills, the Benton Health Services,and the Saline County Sheriff’s Office.
This program is a long standing tradition where officers from most of the police agencies in Saline County go shopping with children on one night in December. It was started by the chaplains association to ensure children from all across Saline County aren’t forgotten during the holidays. It’s designed to help provide gifts to children who would otherwise not have anything for Christmas and it also provides a way for them to help purchase gifts for a family member or friend in need.
Approximately 45-50 children will be assisted by officers and given money to shop for members of their families in addition to buying gifts for themselves. The children who participate are selected through a process utilizing school counselors and the chaplains association based on individual need. The money for this program is donated every year from local businesses and individuals from throughout the area. Donations for this program are still needed and being collected now.
The program kicks at 6:00 PM on the 17th and anyone with questions about the program or to make a donation are encouraged to contact Chaplain Tamera Gore at chaptgore@hotmail.com
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