Daily News Staff Writer
For more than 25 years, the Palm Beach Police and their band of volunteer elves receive donations and give money and gifts to needy families during the holiday season.
This year’s crew distributed $9,800 to five organizations. Some of the money was left over from last year, when a resident made a generous donation late in the drive, said Maj. Richard Howe.
“Everybody that helps loves to do it,” Howe said. “People look forward to it. I have the same volunteers every year. It makes us appreciate what we have. Over the years, we’ve gotten our kids involved. They learn to appreciate things more when they see that maybe a $10 toy is the only thing these other kids will receive.”
The Fraternal Order of Police, the Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary, Volunteers in Police Service and residents all help in supporting the annual holiday drive.
This year’s donations went to the following groups: $2,500 to the Foster Adoptive Parent Association, $1,800 to adopt all the kindergarten classes at Westgate Elementary School and $1,000 to Palm Beach Public School. With the remaining balance of $4,500, a group of volunteers shopped for gifts, which were given to the Salvation Army Angel Tree and Toys for Tots.
The money that went to Westgate provided a book and a toy for 171 children in the nine kindergarten classes at the school, Howe said.
“I have two nieces who teach there, and the school has a lot of people in great need,” Howe said.
At Palm Beach Public, 10 families received gift cards for Publix and Target totaling $100.
“The school picks the families based on who really needs it the most,” Howe said.
“We use reputable charities to make sure they get to someone who really needs them,” Howe said. “The Salvation Army vets all the names and applications, so that they’re going to people who really need it.”
Coleen LaCosta, program director at the Foster Adoptive Parent Association, said the donation from the Palm Beach Police will give gifts to children who are taken out of their homes because of abuse. Those children typically enter foster care with nothing, she said. FAPA finds temporary homes for these children. Currently, there are about 1,100 kids in the system ranging from newborns to 18.
“Major Howe and the Palm Beach Police are so wonderful to us,” LaCosta said. “This type of donation from the police department allows us to give each child several gifts. The difference between getting one gift and more than one gift is amazing. It’s makes a tremendous difference. The smiles the gifts put on these kids’ faces are priceless.”
Howe said, “We like the connection between the police and the kids. Often kids see the police when things are bad, and we want them to know the police are out there doing good things. We want to make a positive connection between the police and their lives.”
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