KINGWOOD, W.Va. (WV News) — The Preston County Deputy Sheriff’s Association is soliciting donations from businesses and the community to bolster their funds for their annual Shop With a Deputy Christmas Program.
For the past 16 years, the Preston County Deputy Sheriff’s Association has helped several families in need within the county receive a Christmas, officials said.
During the event, families that are selected by the association will receive a ham for Christmas while kids will get new boots, a coat and a Christmas gift, Association Secretary and Deputy Susan Mitter said.
It normally costs on average $120 to $200 to cover one family for the event, she said.
“We don’t just take one child from one family; if they need help, it doesn’t matter how many kids they have. They all get something,” she said.
The program aims to help kids from newborn to 18 years of age, and it doesn’t just have to be a family who is struggling financially, officials said.
Sometimes it’s about helping families who have experienced a tragic event or crime, she said.
Association President Charlie Cline said it’s also about promoting positive interaction with law enforcement.
The majority of the time if the public is dealing with an officer it’s likely during or following one of the worst moments in their life, he said.
The Shop With a Deputy promotes positive interaction with the youth and various families, he said.
Association Vice President Deputy Jason Rodeheaver said that the event truly does make a difference.
“You get to interact with families who are thankful that their kids have a Christmas, where they might not have one without it,” he said.
While the program has saved Christmas for many in the past, this year there is a need for more funds, officials said.
They have spent a little more and more money every year, and prices have continued to rise, Cline said.
Deputies have often supplemented the event with their own money at times, just so the kids can get exactly what they want, officials said.
Each year it seems like more churches and community organizations have reached out to help families on the nomination list for the Shop With a Deputy, Rodeheaver said.
The need seems to keep growing, he said.
The association is trying to help as many families as possible.
If there is a family who may be in need, community members are encouraged to reach out, Cline said.
When it comes to donations, any received monies will be earmarked for an intended purpose, he said. “If money is intended for Shop With A Deputy, that’s exactly where it goes.”
Overall, it is the community’s charitable nature that has kept the program running so long, he said.
A great deal of thanks is due to the many continual donors who have made it all possible, he said.
“It’s all based on community support and without it we will not be able to function as we have,” Rodeheaver said.
For more information about donations or to suggest a family nomination contact the Preston County Sheriffs Office at 304-329-1611.