MANSFIELD — Mansfield police Chief Keith Porch joined a local family doing back-to-school clothes shopping on Sunday morning at Wal-Mart.
Retired police Capt. Shari Robertson explained to families how much they could spend.
Retired police Sgt. Michael Bammann helped to check in nearly three dozen families who arrived to participate.
For the 27th year, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 32 aided local families and more than 100 children through its annual “Cops-N-Kids” program at the department store on Possum Run Road.
It’s been a labor of love for the local FOP, an organization that represents around 275 law enforcement officers around Richland County, according to Bammann, who remains the local president even in retirement.
“We were looking for something to give back to the community in a kind of a big way. So 27 years ago, we just decided that this is what we were gonna do,” Bammann said before the event began.
“A lot of FOPs across the country do (such events) at Christmas mm-hmm. But we found partnering with Richland County Children Services that doing it at the start of school we make a bigger impact with families and children in need,” Bammann said.
The local FOP conducts a five-week telephone fundraising campaign to raise the money for the program.
“So actually this happens every year because of the generosity of the citizens, the people, the residents here in Richland County. It’s the businesses and the private individuals who make donations for this program. We put it right back in to help the families in need,” Bammann said.
He said the FOP raised enough money to assist the families and Sunday and also assist the Richland County Children’s Auxiliary and its New Store effort.
Each child received a voucher for clothing and shoes, ranging from $125 to $175, depending on their age, according to Bammann.
“That’s per kid, with no tax. We’re tax exempt. And Walmart does a great job on giving discounts. When you see them come and check out, they will have cart loads of clothing. Walmart really helps us out with that,” Bammann said.
In recent years, the program has worked with the RCCS Kinship Navigator program, assisting families where grandparents and other significant others are taking care of the children.
Rhonda Marsh, who helps coordinative the agency’s Kinship program, said there are now about 1,200 children in the county being raised by grandparents, aunts/uncles, older siblings, etc.
On Sunday, the program was aimed at high school students, though younger siblings could also participate, according to Marsh, in her 21st year with the agency.
“I don’t like to separate the family. I don’t ever want a kid to feel like someone’s, getting better treated than they are in the family,” Marsh said.
She said it’s gratifying to see the faces of children coming out with new pants, shoes, dresses, shirts, tops and more.
“It’s gratifying just to hear them even ask can they participate because they have a need. And then to see the children light up and to be at the age they are and the things that they go through in school and different things. For them to even want come, to me, is gratitude and appreciative of the community, reaching out, having this for them,” Marsh said.
She agreed with Bammann that a back-to-school kind of event is preferred.
“A lot of kids, during the summer, they’ve cut off their clothes from the school year. Now they need clothing for the new school year. So there’s a lot more programs that do Christmas rather than doing back-to-school clothing.
“Other organizations do school bags and supplies, but not clothing. So this is more beneficial for them to be able to get school clothes,” Marsh said.
(Below are photos from Sunday morning’s “Cops-N-Kids” program at Walmart on Possum Run Road.)
