Shorewood Shop with Cop brightens holiday for children in need
By Clare Walters Correspondent December 2, 2012 9:24PM
From left, Jackie Silva, 10, discusses her shopping list with Officer Dan Koopmann at the Target Store in Shorewood. The Shorewood Police hosted its annual Shop with a Cop on Sunday, December 2, 2012 at Target in Shorewood. | Robyn Sheldon~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: January 4, 2013 6:09AM
Eighteen area youth discovered an unconventional shopping buddy this holiday season.
They were paired Sunday with a Shorewood police officer and given $150 to spend on gifts as part of Shorewood’s annual Shop with a Cop event.
The event, which provides deserving youth with a one-of-a-kind shopping experience, began at 10 a.m. at Target, 1111 Brook Forest Ave. The children and their police officers shopped, shared lunch and took a photo with Santa.
“It’s a wonderful community event,” said officer Kim Giugler, who instituted the effort five years ago. “Shorewood is an incredible community filled with caring people who want to make a difference.”
Shop with a Cop has benefited about 145 local families and involves Shorewood police, village staff and residents of the village’s two senior living communities. Residents of Shorewood Glen participate in the event by wrapping presents if the children chose to buy a gift to give to family members or friends, and residents of The Timbers of Shorewood provide baked goods and a keepsake craft for the children.
“I was my desire to sync the generations in a common effort for the good of the whole community,” she said. “I wanted children and seniors together along with the people serving the needs of the community in a positive way.”
Children selected to shop with an officer are identified through local schools and churches, Giugler said.
“The schools tell me the children talk about it for many months afterward and some for years,” she said. “The entire event is full of smiles and excited faces by everyone.”
Troy Transportation also provides a bus for the day, allowing the children and officers to ride together.
“Shorewood and the surrounding area have been very generous over the past five years with their support of this program,” Guigler said. “We have a very generous community.”
Monetary gifts or Target gift cards benefiting Shop with a Cop are accepted at the Shorewood Police Department, 903 Jefferson St., or Village Hall, 1 Towne Center Blvd. Day-of donations will be used for next year’s children.
