Sean C. Morgan
Police officers, firefighters and volunteers played Santa over the past week to nearly 500 local youths.
Both the Sweet Home Police Department and Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District had Christmas Sharing Trees this year.
The Police Department served 51 children, mostly above the age of 12, while the fire department served 422 children in 182 families – a combined total of 473. This was the first year for the Police Department to run a Sharing Tree, which is meant to serve children who are not typically included in the fire department’s annual program, which normally serves more than 500 children.
In the Sharing Tree programs, members of the public take names of children from the trees, each one listing wants and needs; and then they go shopping for the children. Department personnel and volunteers purchase gifts using cash donations for the children whose tags are not taken by a member of the public.
Police Department personnel finished shopping Friday, said Community Services Officer Gina Riley. Police Department personnel shopped for three children and a small list of names provided by School District 55. The community purchased presents for the rest of the children on the tree.
Police officers and Blue Santa started delivering gifts on Thursday.
“It was our first time out,” Riley said. “We didn’t know what to expect, but the community responded very well. The community response was overwhelming.”
One group of ladies came into the department specifically to take the names of the older children, the ones who are often forgotten, Riley said. She found it interesting to hear them talk about making a great Christmas for the kids.
“As far as I can tell, most of those kids are going to be blessed,” Riley said.
The program gives officers a different way of meeting children, she said. “It’s a time we can just go and have a nice interaction with them.”
“It’s definitely helpful,” said Stevie Robinson, whose 11-week-old daughter, Jordan, received gifts on Monday. “It’s good that they’re helping people that need it.”
“I know they’re very thankful too, just blessed with Christmas” said her neighbor Greg Allison. “They’re just starting out. It’s a treat to me to see them get the gifts.”
Robinson has been friends of Robinson and her husband, Zeke, since they became his neighbors after moving from Prineville recently.
The Sharing Tree numbers at the fire department are down, but the department also had a lot more tags than usual, said Cassie Richey, co-chairwoman of the fire department Sharing Tree program. Usually, department members shop for 50 to 60 children. This year, they had to shop for 111 children.
But donations were great this year, more than $2,000, she said.
“Curves did a coat drive for us,” said Shannon Strubhar, co-chairwoman. The business also provided 12 bags of toys.
Fourteen members of the Rhinestone Riders, a local 4-H horse group, wrapped the gifts, Richey said.
SHFAD delivered most boxes to families at the Fire Hall last week.
Clothing was big on the list of wants this year.
“I seriously couldn’t believe how many kids were asking for socks and underwear, not so many toys, although we put at least one toy in,” Strubhar said.