Md. Officers to Help Kids Shop for the Holidays

Nov. 27--As a county police officer, Lt. Bruce Whitlow naturally likes to help people.

Usually, he said, that means responding to emergencies and investigating crimes.

But when the veteran cop puts on his uniform Saturday and heads to Severn, he won't be patrolling the streets looking for bad guys.

He will be helping a local youngster buy presents for his family.

"It's really nice to work with the kids and show them the police are more than what they see on TV," Whitlow said. "It's nice to have that one-on-one contact with a child."

Whitlow and at least 53 other police officers and sheriff's deputies from Anne Arundel County will volunteer their time Saturday for the annual "Shop With A Cop" program at the Walmart Supercenter in Severn. The event, now in its eighth year, is coordinated by the local chapters of the Optimist Club, a youth-oriented community service organization. It is geared to help children ages 8 to about 14 from low-income families.

"They come from situations that just aren't great," said Whitlow, who helps organize the program. He said the families are usually coping with illnesses, unemployment, deaths and other hardships.

According to Whitlow, the officers -- members of the city, county and Natural Resources police departments and the county Sheriff's Office -- will pick up children at their homes about 8:30 a.m. and take them to the store. There, members of the Annapolis, Cherry Hill and Fort Smallwood Optimist Clubs will hand out $100 gift cards to the kids and set them loose in the store with their uniformed shopping assistants.

"Most of them have an idea of what they are looking for," Whitlow said. "We encourage them to shop for their parents, siblings and then themselves."

Selfishness doesn't seem to be a problem though.

"They never spend it all on themselves. They always are thinking about their families," said Pam Bowman of the Fort Smallwood Optimist Club. "It really makes you think about the meaning of Christmas."

Despite the generosity of the Optimist Clubs, Bowman said officers regularly open their own wallets to help kids buy winter coats, new shoes, and other things they know they need.

"I know one officer who went over $70 or $80 last year," Whitlow said. "That's how this program works out."

After the kids go shopping, they head to the Outback Steakhouses in Annapolis and Glen Burnie to eat a complimentary lunch and wrap presents. They used to pack in to only the Glen Burnie location, but as Bowman noted: "We kind of outgrew it."

Despite the bad economy the past few years, "Shop with a Cop" donations have continued to grow, she explained. Whitlow noted that Toys R Us joined in last year and donated $500. This year, each kid will get his or her own $10 Toys R Us gift card.

"They actually tracked me down and said, 'Hey, can you use a donation,' " Whitlow said.

That said, they still can't help everyone they would like to help.

"We've got plenty of kids out there (in need). It's all based on funds," she said.

The Optimist Clubs first teamed with police in 2003, Bowman said. They wanted young children to have positive experiences with police.

Public relations aside, Whitlow said he participates because he enjoys shopping with the kids.

"It's more self satisfying than anything," he said, recalling how happy some of the children got over the years as they walked the store's aisles and picked out Baltimore Ravens' football jerseys for their fathers and DVDs for their brothers. "It's truly rewarding to help families that are in need."

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Anyone wishing to contribute can call Pam Bowman at 410-255-5981.

Copyright 2011 - The Capital, Annapolis, Md.