Ten lucky students in Paola recently had the opportunity to go Christmas shopping for their family members with a little help from the Paola Police Department and the Paola Walmart. The Shop With a Cop program has become an annual tradition for the Paola Police Department. Police Chief Eric Jenkins says the program is made possible thanks to a $1,500 grant from Walmart’s Community Grant Program.
The police department works with social workers at Cottonwood and Sunflower Elementary schools to identify 10 students who would most benefit from the experience. Paola police officers picked up the students the last week before Christmas break from Sunflower Elementary and took them to the Paola Walmart. Each officer was paired with a student, and they worked together searching the aisles for the perfect gifts for the student’s family members. Each student had $135 to spend.
