City of Warren Police Detective Tony Chimenti said officers took donated money and 25 children to Ollie’s and Shoe Dept. Encore. Both stores provided discounts for the event.

“They bought whatever they wanted for themselves and their families at Ollie’s,” Chimenti said.

Then, officers took the children to Shoe Dept. and bought them new boots. The youngsters were not required to set aside money for footwear.

All participants followed the current CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines, Conewango Township Police Department Chief Jason Peters said.

Shop with a Cop is a joint venture involving City of Warren Police, Conewango Township Police, Youngsville Borough Police, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, and Warren County Adult Probation.

Chimenti thanked Warren County Children and Youth Services for helping to find children to benefit from the event.

And, thanks to the generous donations, there was money left over after 25 children went shopping.

“People were very generous,” Chimenti said. “We’re going to do this again before Christmas.”

This was the first year of the event and officers want to keep it going.

“We’re hoping to do this every year,” he said. “It was very satisfying.”

“This would not have been possible without the generosity of local businesses and individuals who donated: Dr. Gatto family, Bent Run, Blue Line Auto, AMP American Petroleum, Allegheny Memorials, anonymous donors, and the officers’ No-Shave November donations,” Chimenti said.

“Special thanks to all the individuals and businesses: Walmart, Napoli’s, Ollie’s, and Encore Shoe Department, to mention a few,” Peters said. “We law enforcement were the conduit for our community’s generosity. Thank you to those that donated. These kids were deserving of our donations and we were thankful to spread the joy of Christmas.”

Anyone interested in making a donation may contact any of the involved agencies.