Police officers in South Bend, Indiana saved Christmas for a family who found out they were burglarized the morning of Christmas Eve. According to CBN News, a “true-life Grinch” stole presents under the tree from the family’s home and even food from their refrigerator. The officers who responded to the call knew just how to bring the Christmas cheer back to the family. They contacted the department’s “Santa’s Elficers” program and were able to secure a few presents leftover from the program to give to the family’s children.
Meador, who received the call from the police officers about the burglary report, knew that there was left over food and toys after they were delivered to more than 400 local families. Overjoyed with the kind gesture of the police department, the family were grateful for the officers’ generosity bringing several boxes of Christmas gifts and food. Responding to the family’s gratitude, the SBPD said “this is what serving our community is all about.”
Meador explained, “[The officers] asked if we had anything extra, and we keep items here at the station for just an instance like this […] And when you see the kids — this morning I was able to go out and deliver the food and the gifts — and to see those little girls’ faces when they saw the presents under the tree and started playing with them, that’s why we do what we do.” Meador said “that’s the positive part, and that’s what keeps us going as officers.” He added that he hopes this is a memory that will last a lifetime, and that maybe someday, the children will be in a position where they can pay it forward.
Responding to the needs of the community is a job that police officers take seriously and often go above and beyond to do. In this case, instead of just simply writing up the police report, the officers knew how devastated the family was by the burglary, and did what they could to cheer them up. This act of compassion reminds everyone of the special people our police officers are and how they not only keep communities safe, but truly care for the people in their communities.