With the snow falling and the volunteer police officers standing by, a rental truck rolled up to Immanuel Lutheran Church carrying turkeys and food baskets for 75 deserving families.
Kate Schultheis, Director of the Immanuel Lutheran Church Food Pantry, said this effort to provide these food baskets is an annual service that the church provides for families in need. For the past 15 years, they have been blessed with the cooperation and participation of the Fraternal Order of Police (F.O.P) #76.
Schultheis said, “I’ve been involved with the pantry for over 30 years. Whether you help a family for one time, or many, they joy of helping others is why I do this. The people I meet at the pantry become your friends and working with the volunteers here are just amazing to work with.”
As Schultheis laid out the handmade hats, scarves, and baby blankets made by women in her congregation, she organized each and every basket to make sure the families would get a turkey and as many donated goods as possible.
As the truck rolled in, Valparaiso Police Officer Jason Hamilton was ready to jump in and help. Officer Hamilton said, “Knowing people are going to have food during the holidays who can’t afford it is what this is all about.”
The F.O.P #76 has officers participating all year in the effort to raise donations from the Valparaiso Police Department and Burns Harbor Police Department, along with excise officers.
Valparaiso Police Officer Chris Allison was in charge of organizing the food baskets this year. This was his first year organizing the effort, but he has volunteered for the last three years helping in various capacities.
Officer Allison said, “All the money for the food baskets is donated to the F.O.P. This year we were able to provide 302 food baskets. Officers come in their off time to help out, some of whom are just coming off the midnight shift and haven’t yet been to bed so they can help out.”
75 food baskets were delivered to Immanuel Lutheran Church, with 57 being dropped off at the Hilltop Pantry and 100 going to the First Christian Church on Chicago Street, and some being picked up directly by families in need at WiseWay.
F.O P. Secretary Officer John Patston said of the effort, “There has been a lot of anticipation for this. This is the one thing that we do where we can come together and see the effects of the fundraising efforts all year and provide food for families.”
Officer Patston continued, “This effort isn’t forced; everyone that wants to be here is here because they want to be. This isn’t viewed as a task, everyone wants to help and I think that speaks of the overall character of the F.O.P. There is a brotherhood and a camaraderie we share in doing this to help the less fortunate so that families can have some comfort. They know that they can count on the F.O.P. to provide these food baskets.”
Drena McMeans-Poore a Food Pantry worker with the Immanuel Lutheran Church Pantry for over 10 years, volunteered to help sort the baskets. She said she wanted to be a part of this effort because “It brings me joy to help people in need.”