Dozens of police officers in D.C. gave their time Wednesday to build relationships with local kids and help brighten their holidays.
The annual Heroes and Helpers event saw police officers take kids shopping for the holidays at the Target in Columbia Heights, paid for by Target and local donors.
Jamayo, 6, who loves Elsa from Disney’s “Frozen” franchise, was looking for items from the movie. She said she loves it “because I watched ‘Frozen 2.'”
About 100 kids were able to shop, including 10-year-old Rianna, who wanted to buy slime. She also wanted to get her mom hand lotion, lip gloss and lipstick.
Elijah, 10, also had his family in mind: He said he was looking for trucks, clothes, sunshades, hats and scarves.
Metro Transit Police officer Trevell Moreland said he loves seeing how the kids think about more than themselves.
“It’s very exciting, and then you get to see some kids make choices you would not think they would make,” Moreland said. “It’s not always about toys for them. Sometimes, it’s about items for their household.”
Moreland added that he volunteers at the event to build bridges with kids: “They get to interact with police officers, who they might not see in a friendly capacity all the time.”
D.C. police Chief Peter Newsham added, “There’s a reason why we continue to do this event every year: It’s a chance for our officers to connect with young people and give back to those in need during the holidays.”
“We are grateful for the D.C. Police Foundation’s support to continue this annual tradition,” Newsham said.
