Roseburg, OR. — Roseburg Police officers and other local law enforcement “elves” will help brighten the holidays for dozens of foster children during the annual Shop with a Cop event on Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Roseburg Walmart.
Organized again this year by Roseburg City Councilor Andrea Zielinski, the program pairs 38 underprivileged foster youth, ages 5 to 18, with officers who help them shop for holiday gifts for their families. The event is funded by Christmas for Kids of Douglas County, community donations, FCC Commercial Furniture, and a special stocking drive led by a Douglas County H.O.P.E. Drug Court participant.
“Each year, it just warms my heart to see the Officers and the kids interacting,” Zielinski said. “The idea is to be able to pair up these kids with Officers so that the kids have a positive interaction with law enforcement. But it’s also for law enforcement to connect with our community as well.”
Kids also visit with Santa, who hands out stockings filled with treats. Walmart donates wrapping supplies and snacks for the shopping spree, which runs from approximately 9:30 to 11 a.m. Officers will check in at 9 a.m., a half-hour later than in past years.
Last year, 35 law enforcement personnel from departments across Douglas County—including Roseburg Police, the Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, Cow Creek Tribal Police, U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management—joined the event to assist 20 foster youth.
“This is one of our favorite events as we get to have a positive impact on these children at the holidays,” said Roseburg Police Chief Gary Klopfenstein. “It’s fun. We really enjoy giving back at this event.”
Each child will receive $125 to spend, funded by donations. This fall, H.O.P.E. Drug Court participant Toby Marlow coordinated the “Hope for Kids Stocking Drive,” collecting enough supplies to fill 50 stockings for the event and an additional 30 stockings for teens in another program. Marlow, who reunited with his five-year-old daughter through DHS support, chose the project to give back to programs that helped him rebuild his life.
Event organizers ask journalists to respect participants’ privacy and not photograph children’s faces without a signed release.
The Shop with a Cop tradition has long roots in Roseburg. Once funded entirely by Kmart employees until the store’s closure in 2017, the program has since been largely supported by Christmas for Kids of Douglas County—a nonprofit born from a simple act of kindness more than 20 years ago, when local teenager Amy Newport raised money to buy Christmas gifts for two boys she noticed frequently went without.
That effort grew into a countywide program that now provides Christmas gifts to about 1,100 children each year, supported by Roseburg Forest Products, local businesses, unions, Greater Douglas United Way, and The Ford Family Foundation.
Zielinski said the event teaches young participants meaningful lessons. “The purpose of this is they’re shopping for their families. This gives them the opportunity to think about the important people in their lives and show gratitude,” she said.
To donate, email info@c4kdc.org
or call 541-680-5365. Additional information is available at christmasforkidsofdouglascounty.org. Donations may also be mailed to Greater Douglas United Way, 702 SE Jackson St., Roseburg, OR 97470, with “Shop with a Cop” written in the memo line.
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