Dover Police need the community’s help for Holiday Heroes program
Holiday Hereos
DOVER, Del. – Leaves are changing which also means the holiday season is quickly approaching. This also means that sadly, many families struggle to provide for their children during the season, and that’s where the Holiday Heroes Program comes in.
For 12 consecutive years, The Dover Police Department has paired up with underprivileged children to go shopping for holiday gifts at the Dover Target store. They connect with the Capitol School District to provide necessities to families such as warm winter clothing and gifts for the Holidays.
Master Corporal Ryan Schmid is the public information officer for the department and is his 6th year doing the program. He tells us this is a great opportunity for children to connect with an officer one-on-one, and many of these children are teased for what they wear, and this can give them a boost of confidence.
“Unfortunately, in the world that we live in now, people may never have positive experiences with law enforcement just based on the area they grew up…. Some of them are living in hotels, just because of the status of their family members, and the first thing they think about is, can I buy my mom a gift, can I buy my brother a gift, and they’re not thinking about themselves.”
The Dover Police Department is asking the public to donate cash, checks, or Target gift cards so each child can have the experience of shopping for the holidays. Feel free to mail it or drop it off at the department at 400 South Queen Street, Dover, DE 19904.
