Law enforcement ‘elves’ to give gift of hope

ROSEBURG, Ore. – Roseburg Police and other local law enforcement “elves” will give foster children the gift of hope with a holiday shopping spree just in time for gift-giving season.

Roseburg City Councilor Andrea Zielinski is once again organizing the annual “Shop with a Cop” to be held at Walmart on Saturday, Dec. 13. The event is being sponsored by Christmas for Kids of Douglas County, donations from the community and FCC Commercial Furniture, and a special stocking drive by a Douglas County H.O.P.E. Drug Court participant.

During the event, Officers will take 38 underprivileged foster children and youths aged 5 to 18 shopping to buy holiday presents for their families. Kids also visit with Santa, who provides gifts including a stocking full of goodies to each child.

“Each year, it just warms my heart to see the Officers and the kids interacting,” said Zielinski, who is FCC Furniture’s human resources manager. “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.”

In 2024, Roseburg Police Chief Gary Klopfenstein and Sgt. Daniel Allen were among 35 law enforcement personnel who took 20 foster kids shopping to buy holiday presents for their families. Officers also came from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Adult and Juvenile Parole and Probation; Oregon State Police; Cow Creek Tribal Police; Winston and Myrtle Creek Police departments; U.S. Forest Service; and the Bureau of Land Management. 

“This is one of our favorite events as we get to have a positive impact on these children at the holidays. It’s fun. We really enjoy giving back at this event,” said Police Chief Gary Klopfenstein.

This event is starting half an hour later than past years. Officers will check in with Zielinski at 9 a.m. that day at Walmart, 2125 N.W. Stewart Parkway. Santa will pose for photos with Officers and kids before shopping begins. Walmart donates wrapping paper, tape, scissors and snacks for the shopping spree, which runs from about 9:30 to 11 a.m.

Generous donations will provide each child with $125 to buy holiday presents under a law enforcement Officer’s guidance. This fall, H.O.P.E. Drug Court participant Toby Marlow coordinated a community project, the “Hope for Kids Stocking Drive,” and gathered enough donations to fill 50 “Shop with a Cop” stockings with toys, art supplies, crayons, Play-Doh, chocolates and other holiday treats. He also raised donations to fill 30 stockings for teens through another program.

Marlow chose the project in honor of his five-year-old daughter, whom he reunited with by working closely with the Oregon Department of Human Services, said Douglas County Programs and Partnerships Coordinator Koree Tate.

“And to give back to the programs that gave so much to him, where he could get his life straightened out and be the best parent possible,” said Tate, adding that Marlow will volunteer at “Shop with a Cop.”

Journalists who cover the event are asked to respect the children’s privacy and not photograph participating kids’ faces or otherwise identify the child unless a parent or guardian has signed a release form provided by event organizers.

For years, the event was held just before Christmas at Roseburg’s Kmart and was fully funded by Kmart employees until the store closed in 2017. About nine years ago, the event became largely funded by Christmas for Kids of Douglas County, a nonprofit that grew from a 16-year-old waitress’s desire to help two little boys more than 20 years ago.

Amy Newport was working at Pete’s Drive-in on West Harvard Avenue one summer when two small boys started showing up regularly to buy one milkshake together. They never had enough money, so Newport made up the difference from spare change in her tip jar, said Christmas for Kids of Douglas County Chairman Dale Pritchett.

As summer went on, she noticed the boys always wore the same clothes and shoes. When school started, Newport followed the two boys home to meet their parents. She asked the couple if she could help the boys “have Christmas.” The parents agreed. Newport set out a Christmas fund collection jar at the drive-in for them, Pritchett said.

The next year, she put out jars all over town and raised enough money to buy Christmas presents for 10 kids whose names she got from a local agency. After turning 18 the next year, Newport got a job with Roseburg Forest Products. As Christmas neared, Newport asked a company foreman if she could set out collection jars. Instead, the foreman suggested setting up an option for payroll deductions. They raised enough money to buy presents for about 150 kids that year.

Soon after, Newport and the foreman talked about the Christmas fundraising effort with Roseburg Forest Products founder Kenneth “Pappy” Ford. He suggested setting up a way for people to donate monthly and offered to match donated funds. By the next year, the fund was able to buy Christmas presents for about 350 children, Pritchett said.

From that, Christmas for Kids of Douglas County was born. Roseburg Forest Products and its employees are still some of their major supporters, along with a lumber and sawmill workers’ union, about 12 local businesses, Greater Douglas United Way and The Ford Family Foundation. Newport has since gotten married and moved to Eugene. But her attempt to help two small boys one long-ago Christmas grew into a nonprofit that provided Christmas gifts to 1,100 local kids in 2024 and again this Christmas, Pritchett said.

Most kids are selected by nonprofits including UCAN Head Start, Family Development Center, Family Relief Nursery of North Douglas County, Cow Creek Kindergarten and Healthy Families Oregon, but about 200 low-income families sign up via Christmas for Kids’ website, Pritchett said. Registration usually opens in mid-October and fills up in about two weeks.

Zielinski said she enjoys the way the kids’ faces light up during the holiday shopping spree and the lessons they learn. 

“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. For more information, check out the nonprofit’s website at https://christmasforkidsofdouglascounty.org. Another way to donate is through a Shop with a Cop account Zielinski set up with Greater Douglas United Way. Drop off or mail a check made out to Greater Douglas United Way, 702 SE Jackson St., Roseburg, OR 97470. Be sure to include “Shop with a Cop” on the check’s “for” or “memo” line.