(Atlantic) The Atlantic Police Department and the Atlantic Police Reserves will be holding their Family Dreams Christmas and Shop with a Cop programs this year.
Atlantic Police Lt. Devin Hogue said, “We had to cancel so many things in the spring and in the summer; they’re such a large program that we feel like we’ve got to figure out a way to make them happen. So, I called Public Health and said what do you think about this and they said that certainly should work so I’m working on getting a design together and ordering enough masks so that all of our officers participating and helpers and the participants themselves, we’ll have a mask to supply for them and we’re going to plan to run our programs and run them as traditionally as we can.”
Lt. Hogue said the Family Dreams Christmas Program, hosted by the Atlantic Police Reserves, will take place Saturday, December 19. Families can fill out applications, or you can nominate a family by filling out an application for them. Applications are available at the Atlantic Police Department and they have to be turned in by 4:00 p.m. on December 9th. Lt. Hogue said they typically try to choose eight families for this program and they take those families shopping at businesses throughout town, except for Wal-Mart. Another four families are chosen to visit the toy room at the Atlantic Police Department.
Shop with a Cop will take place at Wal-Mart on December 20th. No applications or nominations are taken for this program.
“We kind of have our own sources and go out and solicit, that way we have two forms of where we find families and find people to help out with this, so if you call in to nominate somebody for Shop with a Cop you’re going to be told you can fill out an application for the other program,” explained Lt. Hogue.
Lt. Hogue said in total, between the two programs last year, they helped 66 children and 17 adults and overall it was 25 different families. They spent a little over $17,000 that came from generous donations from local groups, organizations and individuals.
Lt. Hogue said donations for these programs are still welcome. Donations can be dropped off at the Atlantic Police Department. Checks should be written to APCCO.
“That’s the Atlantic Police Community Charitable Organization, which is our non-profit that we started here in the last few years, so we can put it into that account, go out and select our families and hopefully have a great turnout and finish out 2020 on a high note,” stated Lt. Hogue.
Lt. Hogue thanks everyone that has supported these programs in the past and everyone who is willing to donate and keep it going this year.
