On Dec. 15, St. Croix children, along with a police officer or National Guard member, will spend two hours at Kmart on a shopping spree with a $50 gift card to purchase holiday gifts for their immediate family members. And how many children get to go will depend on how much St. Croix residents donate.
This sort of "Shop with a Cop" shopping excursion with law enforcement has been instituted by police departments nationwide as a way to provide a positive experience with police officers for underprivileged children, according to a statement from Sen. Judi Buckley’s office.
It pairs children 5 to 10 years old with an officer or National Guardsman. This year’s goal is to provide at least 100 children with this opportunity.
The program is independently run by the Bureau of Corrections this year, with help from individual donors and from Buckley’s office.
If you would like to donate, drop by Buckley’s office in the V.I. Legislative Complex in Frederiksted with a check made out to the Bureau of Corrections or with pre-purchased Kmart gift cards in the amount of $50. You can call Buckley’s office at (340) 712-2379.The donation deadline is Dec. 3.