Itap the season for giving and the Lakewood Police Department is making sure it does its part again this year.
For more than 20 years, Lakewood police officers and volunteers have helped raise money and solicit donations for the Christmas Cheer for Children program, which provides presents for underprivileged families in the community with the thought that these might be the only gifts some children will get to open for Christmas.
“The whole idea of the program is that our police officers identified a need to build relationships with some of the families we deal with sometimes on a regular basis,” said Al Williams, volunteer coordinator with Lakewood police.
As the department and volunteers collect gifts for children, the presents are organized and delivered by Lakewood police officers on Dec. 21 and 22. Officers nominate families for the program throughout the year when they come into contact with a youth or parent that might be in need.
Last year, the department gave out gifts to 224 children in 84 different families.The department also keeps a stockpile of some gifts after Dec. 22 in case something happens to another family just before the holiday.
“Itap heartbreaking when a police officer shows up Christmas Eve and all the Christmas presents have been stolen,” Williams said.
The program has some sponsors this year — Meridian Health Services, Belmar Pharmacy and Warren Occupational Technology Center, among others — which select multiple families and buy gifts for the children. The rest of the gifts are donated from individuals or bought with cash given to the program.
Christmas Cheer also partners with Alameda International Junior/Senior High School and has a party on Dec. 15 to provide gifts for some of the underprivileged youth who attend the school.
Williams has helped expand the program since becoming volunteer coordinator for Lakewood police in 2013. That year, he partnered with the Colorado Mills mall to place an Angel Tree in the mall across from the Toys R Us store. The tree has cards with different children’s name and a gift request. A shopper can take the card, buy the gift and bring it back to a volunteer at the tree.
The tree will be at the mall one more weekend this year, Dec. 9-11 and is up from 5-9 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. to close on Saturday and Sunday.
Volunteer Cheryl Arnett has been helping Lakewood police with the program for the past 20 years and often spends time at the mall collecting gifts or at the police station organizing presents to go to families.
Arnett said that Lakewood is a diverse place and there are many residents who are in position to give back..
“I think there are lots of programs out there where people can give back to kids in the community,” she said.
Lakewood City Councilwoman Ramey Johnson has given to the Christmas Cheer program in the past and last year bought stuffed animals to provide to families on Christmas.
She expressed how proud she is of the department for undertaking a project like this during the holidays.
“I think it is one of the most meaningful things that our city is involved in,” she said. “I can’t think of a nicer thing that they do.”
She also said that programs like this one help the police department maintain a positive relationship with Lakewood residents.
“There have been pockets and areas where police are seen in a very negative light. You haven’t seen that in Lakewood, and I don’t think that will happen here,” she said. “This police department really does try to think of ways to give back to the community.”
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For more information or to make a donation, contact Al Williams at 303-987-7105. The deadline for donations is Dec. 14.