LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
PARIS – Several signs point to the arrival of the holiday season: carols playing in retailers, wreaths hanging on doors and the arrival of snow. In Paris, it’s hard to imagine the arrival of Christmas without Shop With A Cop, a holiday event that’s cemented itself as a tradition in Edgar County over the last 32 years.
Shop With A Cop (part of an umbrella of community involvement called Shop With A Cop and Other Youth Activities) is an annual program where local law enforcement, emergency personnel and a small army of other volunteers assemble to bring cheerful tidings, clothing and smiles to children in need. This year, Shop With A Cop is slated to begin at 7 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Paris Walmart.
Paris Police Chief Terry Rogers is grateful for the program’s decade-spanning longevity, which he attributes to the community’s generosity.
“I never see the program going away. Financially (we’re) pretty good, and that’s because of this county,” he said, later adding, “We’re lucky to have them (event founders) who started it back then and (to be able to) continue to carry on the tradition. The support has always been there, as evident in the 32nd year of the program, and it just keeps growing … and it’s because of the county and the donations and the support.”
Using money raised during fundraisers and collected through investments made by the Paris Police Association (PPA), volunteers from across the county shop for warm clothing with children and families in need. Students are nominated by their respective schools and receive $150 worth of clothing items. Infant siblings of students who qualify can also receive $125 worth of clothes.
The number of volunteers has grown in recent years, but so has the number of children the program serves. With higher helper turnout, the event flows smoother, runs faster and allows shoppers to build deeper connections during their time together.
Volunteers are not required to register or sign up before the event.
“Anybody and everybody is welcome to volunteer,” Rogers said. “There’s a lot of kids and families there, and it (shopping) does take quite a while, so the more volunteers, the better. The families love it. The kids love it even more.”
In 2023, 271 local children participated in the event, up from 201 the year prior. This year, Rogers and others hope to serve 300 children but have to rely heavily on the generosity of the community to reach their goal.
“We are shy on funds like we are every year,” Rogers explained. “Last year, we barely made it, (but) we did break even.”
Donations are accepted year-round for Shop With A Cop and other programs the group sponsors, including Cops and Bobbers and various youth sports activities.
Receiving funds ahead of this year’s event is crucial to helping as many students as possible, and hopefully, reaching the 300 mark.
“We do accept them (donations) all year long. However, right now is crunch time,” Rogers explained.
While some funds are kept in reserve for emergency use, Shop With A Cop could not survive without the help of charitable neighbors, groups and businesses from Paris and beyond.
“It’s vital to the program. If we did not have the community support, we could not pull this off,” said Melissa Garner, an administrative secretary and code enforcement officer with the Paris Police Department (PPD) who also serves as the program lead for Shop With A Cop.
Garner hopes the community will continue to see the value of the program and participate.
“Children are our future, and if we take care of them now, they’re going to take care of us in the future,” she said.
For anyone looking to contribute to this year’s program, donations can be mailed or dropped off at the Paris Police Department, located at 211 W Washington Street in Paris. Arrangements can also be made for checks or cash donations to be picked up.
Volunteers are asked to meet at the photo center located near the back of the Paris Walmart at 6:45 a.m., Dec. 14.
Questions can be directed to Rogers and Garner at 217-465-6351 ext. 2. Event organizers also encourage anyone interested in the event to share social media updates from the Paris Illinois Police Department Facebook page. To register a child for Shop With A Cop, contact an administrator at their school.