Annual Shop With a Cop Silicon Valley, the San Jose Police Department, and Target hosted a Heroes and Helpers Holiday Shopping Spree to help 220+ students from Los Arboles,  K. Smith, Gardner Academy, Clyde Arbuckle McKinley and Santee purchase holiday gifts for their families.

The Annual Shop with a Cop “Heroes and Helpers Holiday Shopping Spree” had over 220 students from Los Arboles, McKinley, and Santee Elementary participate on Wednesday, December 4, 2019.  The day began with a Police Officer’s and Children’s Breakfast, followed by a convoy to the Target store on Coleman Avenue in San Jose.  Additional  families that were hosted were from the Gilroy  shooting tragedy and other  children facing hardships.

Since 2007, the Shop with a Cop Foundation Silicon Valley has hosted hundreds of students from FMSD for a holiday shopping spree with local Bay Area police officers. For many of the children, this special opportunity becomes the only holiday experience they will have.

This program is conducted in cooperation with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies nationwide. With a uniformed police officer by their side during the shopping spree, each child received a $175.00 Target gift card to shop for gifts for themselves or their family. The goal is to humanize the people behind the badge so that children can grow up trusting the police.

The selected students from each school earned their way to the Heroes and Helpers Holiday Shopping Spree through perfect attendance in school and participation in the Readers are Leaders reading campaign.