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Shopping sprees with Mahoning deputies thrill kids
By Bob Jackson
BOARDMAN
Sometimes Santa Claus shows up wearing a badge and riding in a police cruiser.
That was the experience of more than 40 kids who were treated to a Christmas shopping spree Saturday, courtesy of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 141, which represents the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department. It was the FOP’s annual Shop With a Deputy event.
For the kids and their families, it was a chance to buy Christmas gifts – either for themselves or for family members – that they most likely would not have gotten otherwise. And for the deputies and officers of the sheriff’s department, it was a chance to reach out and serve the community in a way that doesn’t involve law enforcement.
Kids from all over the county met at the McDonald’s restaurant at Market Street and U.S. Route 224, where they ate breakfast. Then, they were loaded into limousines and driven to Kmart, with a police escort, where each child was given $100 to spend for Christmas shopping.
“Our people just love this,” said Sheriff Jerry Greene. “Take a look around. We have more deputies out here today than we do kids. I think it speaks volumes that so many of our staff are not only willing, but happy to come out here on their own time and participate in this project.”
Greene’s daughter, Hannah, and her friend, Jordan Jones, both cheerleaders at Boardman High School, were among volunteers Saturday to tag along with the young shoppers and help them keep track of how much money they had available to spend.
In the past, the FOP had coordinated the annual event with the Salvation Army, reaching out to Youngstown inner city kids. This year, FOP President Joseph Iberis opted to make it a countywide opportunity.
The FOP sought input from superintendents of all school districts in the county, searching for “some of their most vulnerable students,” Iberis said. All school districts in the county responded and were represented Saturday.
“It just makes sense to do a countywide program,” Iberis said. “We patrol the whole county, we serve the whole county. We should make it available to the whole county.”
Manny Hennon of Lowellville could barely contain his excitement as he showed the sheriff the remote-controlled car he’d put in his shopping cart.
“I wanted this so bad,” said Manny, 7, who was being helped out by his grandmother, Georgia Mullen. “It has the shiny wheels and the chrome. I’m getting new shoes, too.”
Mullen, with whom Manny lives, said she was grateful to Lowellville school officials for suggesting Manny as a participant.
“They said he’s been trying so hard in school,” she said. “This is just wonderful.”
Memphis Dominic, a 5-year-old from Ellsworth who attends Western Reserve School District, was shopping with Deputy Dale Reinhart when they decided to stop in the middle of the store for an impromptu Star Wars laser sword fight.
Nathan Myers, 12, of Canfield, bought cologne, socks and gum, but his most prized purchase was a remote-controlled helicopter.
“That was the first thing he went for when we got in the store,” said Deputy Brian Sullivan.
Sullivan, who’s been taking part in Shop With A Deputy for 20 years, said the program does more than just give disadvantaged kids a chance to have a nice Christmas.
“It lets kids see police officers in a different light, in a positive light,” Sullivan said. Given recent negative headlines involving police officers across the country, Sullivan said it’s important for kids to see that police officers are good people.
John Martin and his fiancee, Sandy McCauley, both of Berlin Center, watched as their granddaughters, 9-year-old Alexis Peterson and 6-year-old Jayden Hall, loaded their shopping carts with such things as Minecraft items, Legos, My Little Pony, pajamas, and of course, Star Wars toys.
“Oh my gosh,” McCauley said. “They’ve been so excited about this. I haven’t heard the end of it since I told them about it a week ago. They couldn’t wait.”
Other highlights for the young shoppers were a chance to meet and talk with Santa Claus, and meeting Mercy, a narcotic-sniffing dog used by the sheriff’s department. Mercy and her handler, Sgt. Larry McLaughlin, stood at the front of the store where kids could stop and pet the dog.
After the trip, the kids and their families got back into their limousines and were taken to the nearby Cinemark movie theater for a movie and popcorn.