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How to donate: Donations can be either mailed to 13 E. Third Street, Lewistown, PA 17044 or dropped off at the United Way office or any Juniata Valley Bank. Checks can be made payable to Juniata-Mifflin Shop With A Cop.
LEWISTOWN -- Local children will be treated to some holiday cheer on Dec. 13 during Juniata-Mifflin County's third annual Shop With A Cop.
Since its inception, Shop With A Cop has granted underserved children from Juniata and Mifflin counties the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with local law enforcement. Those who are nominated are given a chance to be assigned with a police officer from their area to shop for themselves and their family members during the holiday season.
Shop With A Cop is designed to provide local, at-risk youth who were victims of crime, financial hardship or other disadvantageous circumstances a chance to shop for themselves during the Christmas season by virtue of donations.
The group's itinerary for the day begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. with a parade, making their way to Walmart to shop. Afterward, they will head over to the FAME building in Industrial Park to have their gifts wrapped, all the while enjoying a pizza party and other refreshments.
Colette Hartzler, executive director of United Way of Mifflin-Juniata, beamed at the program's success in the past and hopes the same outcome for this year.
"It's one of those events that we do that make you cry. These kids are given a mere $100, and that doesn't buy much anymore, and you would think they are buying things for themselves, but they're buying for their gram, they're buying for their sister, for their mom…" she said.
Not only has the United Way seen the value that Shop With A Cop has brought to the community during the Christmas season, but area police officers have, too.
Eric Ettinger, an officer at the Mifflin County Regional Police Department, echoes Hartzler's sentiment. He says the program has helped bridge the gap between troubled youth and local law enforcement.
"It's that feel-good story. It makes you feel good that the kids are actually going to have a good Christmas where, if they didn't do the program, the kids might not get anything. I know Christmas isn't about getting gifts, but a lot of it is that the kids are able to buy their siblings and their family gifts where they wouldn't normally be able to if the program didn't exist," Ettinger said.
The success of the program is determined by donations from area businesses. Unlike most fundraising organizations, 100% of donations goes to help local youth.
"There is no financial benefit to the United Way. Our mission is to improve people's lives by mobilizing the caring power of the community and we want to make sure that everybody, (if) some population that needs the help, can get the help, we're there," Hartzler said. "It's important for the kids to know that cops not only come around when there's trouble, but they come around for good."
Ettinger held the same belief. "It gives you that happy feeling; the feeling that you're making an impact. I learned a lot about our community and how we have a lot of poverty that gets overlooked ... A lot of times in our job, it's a lot of negative, and a lot of kids see a lot of negative. It's a good way to break that cycle with the kids by doing something positive. I love being a positive role model for the kids and it's good that they look up to the LEOs. I think everyone who does it enjoys it."
Shop with a Cop is partnered with the United Way, a non-profit 501(c)(3) agency and assisted by many other local organizations. To donate, make checks payable to Juniata-Mifflin Shop With A Cop or SWAC. Donations can be either mailed to 13 E. Third Street, Lewistown, PA 17044 or dropped off at the United Way office or any Juniata Valley Bank.