Local law enforcement provide Christmas for 24 families

One slender woman stood in the Signal Mountain Wal-Mart Thursday night, crying her eyes out.

"It's like angels came down from heaven," said Nikki, who asked that her last name be withheld. "My babies are going to have a Christmas."

Chattanooga Police Chief Bobby Dodd, right, talks with a parent in Wal-Mart. The man's family was one of 24 families participating in the Police Union Local IBPO's annual Christmas benefit. Staff photo.

The angels wore blue and carried guns. Nikki and her three children were one of the 24 Hamilton County families participating in the Chattanooga Local International Brotherhood of Police Officers' annual charitable event. Parents were invited to the store to shop without their children so they can surprise them on Christmas day. The families were given $150 to spend on each child.

Nikki said life has been tough economically for her family since she was disabled in an auto accident. She recently had a fifth cancer surgery, she said, showing the bandages on her abdomen. Her husband works but his income must stretch to cover a family of seven, she said.

"I thought, 'Oh this will be nice, I might get like $50 or $100.' and I thought that was great," Nikki said, her voice quavering. "But they gave me $150 for each kid. I'm just flabbergasted. I'm just overwhelmed."

Two hours after the parents began shopping at the Signal Mountain Road store, the tab had reached $17,000.

Chattanooga detectives Phil Grubb, left and Tim Tomisek, right, talk to a local man who was one of 24 families who participated in the Police Local IBPO union. The parents got to spend $150 per child at Wal-Mart. Staff photo

The parents also got shopping trips to buy food to prepare holiday meals, IBPO president Tim Tomisek said.

"We want to focus our giving on the community," Tomisek said. "We want to help those in need and we also see this as building a bridge between the police department and the citizens of Hamilton County."

Tomisek said the union, which also represents some Hamilton County Sheriff's deputies, holds fund raising events throughout the year and also rely on phone solicitations. They planned to spend around $23,000 on this year's "Shop with a Cop," as the event has been known in the past.

Investigator Phil Grubb, immediate past union president, said the union went through the school system to find families who were in need.

"We wanted to find people who really needed it," he said. "We wanted to help people who otherwise wouldn't have had anything."

Residents from the Continental Apartments volunteer to wrap gifts as part of the Chattanooga Police Local IBPO union's annual benefit for local families. Staff photo.

Residents of the Continental Apartments volunteered to help wrap gifts. Alene Howell said she enjoyed the festive atmosphere and seeing the children who were there. And seeing the need tugged at her heart.

"This is fun," she said. "I haven't been around young children in over 20 years but I'm expecting my first grand baby in March."

She said she listened as parents shared their joy at being able to provide for their children at Christmas time.

"(A) Mrs. Johnson said she has eight children and she filled four carts," Howell said. "She said there was no way she could have done that (without the union's help.)"

Nikki said the event gave her a new perspective on law enforcement officers.

"Sometimes it might feel like they (have an attitude) but they are just doing their jobs," said. "They are people, too. They just have a job to do."