Chief’s Corner
By Chief Steven J. Wojnar Dudley Police Department We have completed another year of our annual holiday drive. This year, Officers Keith Remillard and Luis Pacheco led our efforts, along with other members of the department. Thanks to all involved, and the continued generosity of our donors, we distributed gifts and clothing to some 30 families, including over 60 children. We greatly appreciate the support we have received over the years. This has made the holiday season much brighter for many local children. To continue the success of this effort, a donor asked if I could recommend types of donations, we have found best to distribute during this drive. Certainly, donations of any kind are accepted. We will try to find a match for whatever we receive. We are fortunate to have local organizations, such as The Webster Dudley Food Share, to assist us in distributing anything we have remaining. Most children we see range from ages 3 to 7. We certainly have younger and older kids as well, however, this seems to be the predominant age range. What is most sought after are the current toys of the time. These will change year to year, so it is always a challenge to say what is the best. If you are willing to donate such items, it is always best to seek out information from parents with younger children to determine the current “fad.” Items such as stuffed animals and board games are usually amongst the last items to go during these distributions. We have many stuffed animals we try to distribute throughout the year, and these are usually only popular for very young children. Sports related items, however; are always popular gifts. These can include balls of any kind and any other things like goals or other related items. Even though they are expensive purchases, bicycles of any kind are always our most popular donations. These are always the first to go and we are pleased to see children out enjoying these. If people don’t have time to shop, or do not know what to buy, never worry. We accept financial donations and gift cards. Local stores can be a great source for these - |
purchases. These can be particularly handy for those parents with children who are approximately 11 or 12. Parents often know what these children need or want and therefore can use these donations to purchase something appropriate.
Once again, we appreciate all the donations and the support of our residents. We thank everyone for their continued generosity. We have enjoyed a great relationship with our community, and we appreciate all the support with this drive and all our community policing efforts. For those still seeking vaccination or COVID. information, it can be found at www.dudleyma.gov or by calling The Board of Health 508-949-8036. During these challenging times, we, at the Dudley Police Department, greatly appreciate the support we receive from our community. Thanks again for your questions and comments. Please send them to me at the Dudley Police Department 71 West Main St. Dudley, Ma. 01571 or email at swojnar@dudleypolice.com. Opinions expressed in this weekly column are those of Chief Wojnar only and unless clearly noted, do not reflect the ideas or opinions of any other organization or citizen. |
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