CHRISTMAS MIRACLES

Three years ago Jesse Reding, the Kasson Police Department Investigator was approached by Tracy Fogeleon about starting a local Shop With a Cop event.
Ever since then they have done just that.
After starting the annual event they were able to get the Local Business Leaders group on board right away to help support the program.
“If it wasn’t for the local businesses and community support we wouldn’t be able to make it happen,” Reding said.
The way the event works is kids are paired up with a officer or two and go to different businesses to shop for presents for family members or people who are closest to them.
The kids the first two years were recommended by SEMCAC and this year they decided to get recommendations directly from the school district.
Reding said that they try to keep it limited to 10-11 kids and this year everyone they asked said yes.
After the shopping the kids and the officers meet back at the library where the officers and volunteers help the children with wrapping presents  while also enjoying pizza and playing some games.
For Reding that's his favorite part.
“It’s great spending time with the kids in a positive way,” Reding said.
Aside from the presents that they shop for, Reding explained that many businesses in the community also help out by donating gift cards to the family and each child receives a ornament.
Community Outreach Program
Since they first started the event they have also expanded what they do for the community.
The first year they had the event Reding explained that they raised enough money to cover the costs of the presents that the kids by for their families but they quickly knew they wanted to expand to help even more people in the community.
That's what prompted them to create a fund called the Kasson Police Community Outreach Program. The idea is that the funds raised will cover events like Shop With a Cop, but also go a step further and help out people in need quickly.
For example funds raised can be used for things like helping someone who may run out of gas and need a few dollars to get home, to pay for a hotel room for someone who was a victim of a crime, or for any other situation that may emerge.
Reding explained that he thinks having that available for officers is a great resource for them when they are on patrol.
“When I was on patrol it wasn’t available,” he explained, “it gives the officers another tool if they need it,”Reding added.
Kasson Police Chief, Kent Berghuis said that he is very thankful for the many businesses and community members  that help with the program, which in return helps many people in the community who may be struggling.
“{I would like to thank all the businesses and the individuals that have donated and continue to donate to the Shop With a Cop, it has been awesome to be part of it and to see how it affects families in a positive way. I'm looking forward to the expansion of our Shop With a Cop program to the Kasson Police Community Outreach Program so we can positively affect more lives, just not the ones at Christmas time,” Chief Berghuis said, “there are times throughout the year that we have people in need of gas or a place to stay for the night that are down on their luck, this is to help with those and other situations with people in need, we are here to serve,” he added.