On December 16, 2017, the
Optimist Club partnered with the St. Mary’s County Fraternal Order of Police,
and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, will be hosting the 14th
annual “Shop with a Cop” program.
Children nominated by St. Mary’s
County Public Schools, (SMCPS), police officers, and other agencies in the
community, will be picked up at their homes by local, state, federal law
enforcement officers, as well as members of the United States Coast Guard. The children will then shop with the officers
for themselves, family, or friends, and then be treated to breakfast made by
members of the Optimist Club of St. Mary’s County. The children are allotted money to shop with;
the money comes from donations from private citizens and business throughout
the county.
The “Shop with a Cop” program is
a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization consisting of members of the St.
Mary’s County Optimist Club and the St. Mary’s County Fraternal Order of
Police. This program is an all-volunteer program with no paid employees.
Due to the generous donations
collected throughout the year, this year “Shop with a Cop” will be able to take
105 children shopping to spread Christmas joy.
