On a chilly and rainy December morning on Greenwood’s west side, the Christmas wishes of several Johnson County children became a reality thanks to local police.
This year, nearly 45 children shopped in shifts at the Greenwood Meijer on State Road 135 during Shop with a Cop, the Johnson County Fraternal Order of Police’s annual holiday event. The decision to do the shopping in shifts was due to a request from Meijer, said Evan Preston, a sheriff’s deputy and county FOP board member.
About $15,000 was raised for the fraternal order of police this year, and each kid was given about $300 to spend on items they needed, such as winter coats, socks and boots, and some things they wanted, such as video games, scooters and Nerf guns.
Franklin brothers Blake and Zayden Mudd were excited to go shopping with police officers. Blake, 8, teamed up with Franklin police officer Mary Helms, and Zayden, 9, went with Edinburgh police officer Randy Vandergrift.
Both Helms and Vandergrift walked the store with the brothers, helping them find the things they needed and wanted for Christmas.
Helms helped Blake find socks, try on a bicycle helmet and find what he considered the ultimate gift — a hover board. Blake stood in shock and excitement as a Meijer employee brought it out to him.
It’s heartwarming, said Gava Mudd, Blake and Zayden’s grandmother. She and her husband can’t do it all for the kids, so Shop with a Cop is a true blessing, she said.
“I’m so thankful … We are so blessed to be able to take part,” Gava Mudd said.
Like Blake and Zayden, AJ Myers, 10, of Greenwood, was also excited to shop with police officers. Myers was able to shop with two law enforcement officers — Sheriff Duane Burgess and Probation Special Deputy Derek Wilson. Together, the trio found Myers shoes, a winter coat, a Nerf gun and a mini-basketball hoop.
“This is the most fun I’ve had in 2021,” Myers said.
For Greenwood teen Brookelyn Benefiel, Shop with a Cop was especially special as she recently lost a lot of her stuff in a basement flood. Benefiel shopped for clothes, jewelry and bedroom items to replace what she lost with deputy Bob Golinksi and his wife Elizabeth Ann Alvey, a candidate for Johnson County auditor.
Together, the trio helped Benefiel get a new desk and new bedding as well.
Once all the children finished their shopping, they got an opportunity to have a photo taken with Santa. Then, the kids received a bag filled with books and a stuffed animals from Find a Book a Home Foundation, a local nonprofit founded by Carah Austin, now deputy attorney for the state of Indiana. The foundation has been a part of Shop with a Cop for several years, said Cher Austin, Carah’s mother and a member of the nonprofit.
For Preston, who has been a part of the event for several years, his favorite part is seeing the kids’ smiles after they checkout. He used to go shopping with the kids, but now finds it more rewarding to watch them after they get their gifts, he said.
“Standing up here, seeing kids smile as they leave; it makes my day,” Preston said.
