CRANBERRY, Pa. – Recently, community members provided area youth the opportunity to purchase Christmas gifts with a hero.
The sixth annual “Shop With a Hero” was held last week at Cranberry WalMart, and children had the opportunity to purchase Christmas gifts with the help of a uniformed hero. Kids were given a gift card with which they shopped for Christmas gifts and any necessities.
The event is a partnership between Family Service & Children’s Aid Society and the Franklin station of the Pennsylvania State Police, organized by PSP Trooper Michelle McGee and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Oil Region Program Director Jessica Walters.
Trooper Michelle McGee, PSP Franklin Community Service Officer, told exploreVenango.com, “This is one of my highlights for the holiday season. I enjoy seeing the kids spend the evening with the heroes, and it’s very rewarding to see their faces when they come back with full shopping carts. I also think it’s great to see so many of our county agencies represented and have volunteers who help make this happen. I’m proud to be a part of this event for the community.”
The participating agencies in the community event were Venango County Sheriff’s Office; Franklin Police Department; Oil City Police Department; Sugarcreek Police Department; Emlenton Police Department; Polk Police Department; State Probation and Parole; Venango County Adult/Juvenile Court Supervision; Community Ambulance Service; Franklin Fire Department; Seneca Volunteer Fire Department; and members of the Warren and Franklin PSP.
The event was sponsored by WalMart, United Way of Venango County and the following civic clubs/organizations: Eagles, Moose, Pulaski, VFW and P.N.A. of Oil City; and Elks, VFW, Moose, and Eagles of Franklin.
“This program is an amazing opportunity for local youth to have a positive experience with a man or woman in uniform, especially for those who may not have had a good experience in the past. I love seeing how excited the youth are when they find out which hero they are paired with.” said Jessica Walters, Program Director, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Oil Region.