Adams Police To Start Gift Drive
ADAMS, Mass. — The Police Department will facilitate a toy and gift drive for less fortunate children and the elderly.
Officers Colby Clark, Gregory Onorato and Travis Cunningham wanted to bring a little Christmas cheer to town this year and teamed up with the Berkshire Community Action Council, Council on Aging and the Parish of St. John Paul II to start a gift drive.
"The more people we can help the better, especially this time of year when there are people who don't have a lot," Clark said. "We go to houses and see these families and there are people in need in this area."
Clark said the police will accept presents for kids 16 and under and for the elderly in the station but plan to have a larger fundraising drive at the Adams tree lighting held at the Town Common on Sunday, Nov. 27, from 2 to 5 p.m.
Police officers, the K-9 unit Kumar and firefighters will be there with a cruiser to collect unwrapped gifts and donations.
Onorato said the gifts will go to specific families given to them by the BCAC and that some gifts will also be given to the Parish of St. John Paul II who will disperse them.
He said if they collect more gifts they will add on more families.
The Council on Aging also provided police with a list of elderly citizens who may need some Christmas spirit.
"We are doing this with the Fire Department and we are going to try to get the ambulance on board and go around a visit with elderly people who don't have families or anyone home for the holidays," Onorato said. "We always like working with kids and we never thought to reach out to the elderly."
Onorato, who also is involved with the forensics programs in the schools, said the police not only want to provide less-fortunate children with gifts but also show them that they can be comfortable around police officers.
"I think it is important for kids to feel comfortable approaching a police officer or if they need to call they need to know they will see a friendly face," he said. "We want kids to be comfortable with police in general and put a face to the uniform."
Clark said the department will also take checks written to the Adams Police Association.
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