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Shop with a Deputy – Helping Those Who Fought for Us

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Something very special quietly happened in Montgomery Thursday night. For the fourth consecutive year, Montgomery County Regional Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #99 made Christmas special for some families whose service to our country has left a parent disabled and the family struggling to survive.

FOP #99 coordinates with Montgomery County Veterans Services in selecting participants for the annual “Shop with a Deputy” event, held at Wal-Mart on Walden Road in Montgomery. Disabled veterans who were unable to provide Christmas presents for their children were invited to bring their families to the store, where they were met with a surprise. Each child received a $100 gift card and was paired up with an FOP #99 “Santa’s helper” for shopping. The children were told they could spend the money on whatever they wanted for Christmas, and in most cases, they headed for the toy aisles. Some of the children were so unaccustomed to getting things they wanted, they had trouble spending all of the money. Many of Santa’s helpers had to ask a lot of questions and make suggestions to help the process along. Some immediately knew what they wanted. One little girl searched feverishly for an Easy Bake Oven. She said she had one and loved it, but when her family lost their housing, she had to leave it behind. Another little girl made it easy on her helper, because she had been in the same store with her mother getting necessities and already knew the locations of things she had seen and wanted but never thought she would get. That included a sparkly school lunch box that she clenched in her hand throughout the shopping trip instead of placing it in the basket.

The oldest child was a 16-year-old who has already taken some very adult responsibilities. He rides a bicycle for miles each day to his fast food job where he earns money to help his family, which consists of his disabled father, a sibling, and him. He used his money on socks and shoes, jeans and a shirt. FOP #99 is checking into providing more help for that family and three others who had no food in their pantries. Spending some of the money on clothing happens every year, just as some of the children spend a portion of their money on gifts for their family members. One year, a child used some of the money to purchase warm clothing and sleepwear because the family had been unable to adequately heat their home.

FOP #99 President Shane Albritton, a Corporal with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, said the event was made possible with the help of the Montgomery Wal-Mart, Montgomery County Veterans’ Services and the FOP #99 members and volunteers from their families who showed up to help. This year was the first for FOP #99 members of the Roman Forest Police Department to participate, including Roman Forest Police Chief Stephen Carlisle.

Twenty-two families were helped Thursday night and Chief Carlisle and other RFPD Santa’s helpers will help one more family from east Montgomery County that FOP #99 did not learn about soon enough to include Thursday night. The number has grown each year, along with outside support.

One family would not have been able to attend without the help of a civilian. James Hoffman, Manger of Taxi 24 of Conroe, provided transportation to that family free of charge. Some shoppers in Walmart also donated funds on the spot after seeing the helpers and families. The event is funded through donations from local businesses, private citizens and fundraisers held by the local lodge throughout the year.

“Shop with a Deputy” was one of the local lodge’s two Christmas events. The other event is a fundraiser for the “Michael Salinas Foundation” that benefits children suffering from leukemia in Texas Children’s Hospital. Unfortunately, because of the children’s unique needs and compromised immune systems, visitors are kept at a minimum and the volunteers are unable to interact with them on a grand scale like the Shop with a Deputy event. However, they also receive surprises through the efforts of FOP #99 and the families know they are not forgotten.

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