Cops hand out gift cards again from anonymous donor who wants to help needy

YOUNGSTOWN

It was perhaps no coincidence Thursday the sun came out downtown as city police officers Joe Moran and Shawna-Cie Ott came bearing gifts to Our Community Kitchen on Mahoning Avenue.

The two had gift cards for Bret Teri and Jeri Calliton supplied to the department by an anonymous donor to help the couple get back on their feet after they moved here from California – only to discover the house they purchased off the internet was condemned.

Calliton, an Army veteran, greeted Moran with a hug when he entered the kitchen.

“Joe shows up and the sun comes out,” Calliton said,

Moran and Ott are members of the department’s Community Police Unit, who gave out the cards to needy families. Officers in the patrol division also handed out some. Like last year, the department was supplied with the cards by an anonymous donor who wants to spread some Christmas cheer to people who really need it.

After they visited the kitchen at 551 Mahoning Ave., the pair headed to the South Side, where they presented gift cards to Jessica Dickerson, who just gave birth to her seventh child. Her house had burned down.

Read more about the holiday effort in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.