Shop with Heroes event at Harrison Walmart pairs kids with first responders
A 9-year-old boy jumped on the edge of the shopping cart and scooted ahead of his newfound cop buddy, playing hide-and-seek in the superstore’s toy aisles.
He paused to scour the shelves of Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards and snag some Japanese manga comic books, teaching Harrison police Officer Matt Ellinger how they’re read right to left.
Elsewhere at the Walmart in Harrison, a 5-year-old boy led two other police officers on a mission for a remote-controlled car, a couple of Nerf guns and miniature Lego sets — plus some new snow pants and gifts for his family.
One woman asked what they were doing — and liked the answer so much that she pitched in $70 in cash on the spot.
Eighteen youths participated in this year’s “Shop with the Heroes” annual event in the Alle-Kiski Valley, organized by Harvest Baptist Church just west of Route 28 near Route 908, with help from Walmart and volunteer first responders from across the region. Each child was given a gift card of about $100 to $175 and teamed up with one or two first-responder shopping companions — including active and retired police officers from Harrison Township as well as New Kensington and Penn Hills, firefighters, medics and military service members from the Army National Guard and Marines.
Participant ages ranged from 5 to 17, and their circumstances varied.
One had recently coped with his dad suffering from a severe bout of covid-19 and the death of his dog just last week.
Seven were in foster care.
All had at least one thing in common: They and their families could use a little extra help this holiday season.
“They’ve all had a rough 2021 because of some tragedy or circumstance beyond their control,” said Dave Coyle, outreach coordinator for Harvest Baptist Church and organizer of the past four local “Shop with the Heroes” events. “It could be a death in the family, it could be a house fire, it could be someone who has been dealing with leukemia and all of the family’s extra money is going to medical bills.”
Each was identified as a family in need by local churches, nonprofits, community leaders or school officials — including the Freeport Area and Leechburg Area school districts.
When contacted by the church and asked if their kids would participate, many parents and caregivers “thanked me about a million times,” Coyle said.
Police officers told the Tribune-Review they appreciated being a part of it not only to help the participants and their families but also to spread cheer and remind those observing the event that their primary goal is to protect and serve the community.
“We do what we do because the job is a calling,” Sgt. Justin Bouch said. “We have a heart for service and helping people. It’s not about arresting people, that’s just part of the job that we have to do sometimes.”
“It’s just fun,” chimed in Officer Colt Stebler — who was assigned to shop with a young boy named Colton who got a kick out of them having the same name.
The event began with a service at the church and lunch for everyone — a chance for first responders to get to know the kids and caregivers over pizza and hoagies, and “because you can’t shop on an empty stomach,” Coyle said.
The first responders volunteered to participate on their own unpaid time, with several police officers doing so hours before starting their regular patrols later in the day. Several officers emphasized they try to find the time to get to know children in the communities they serve and make small differences all year long.
Stebler hands out ice pops to kids during the summer and lets them sit in the patrol car and turn on the lights. Bouch says he and a fellow cop will take the initiative to throw a football with a few kids when he has the time and will buy new basketball nets and bring a ladder from home to keep the hoops up to par at Sheldon Park.
“I don’t want you to be scared of me. I want you to be able to come to me for help,” Bouch said. “Showing this kind of thing to younger kids makes that individual a little more positive from the start so that you can have that trust.”
Similar charitable events matching kids with law enforcement and other first responders are held around the country — including a “Shop with a Cop” event at locations throughout Westmoreland County that have helped 300 to 900 children annually. Events have included at the Walmart in Rostraver as well as stores in Unity, Hempfield, Salem and North Huntingdon.
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