In an effort to provide relief to those in the community that need help during these difficult times, officers from the Wilmington Police Department, faculty and administrators from Wilmington High School, and members of the Wilmington Police Explorers are giving back. Lt. Chris Ahern recently organized a collection within the Department to buy gift cards for residents that might be struggling financially. When members of the Wilmington Police Explorers and the Wilmington High School Administration & Faculty heard about the idea, they wanted to help as well.

After collecting more than $1,100 from members of the Department and the Police Explorers, Lt. Ahern bought gift cards for Market Basket, Pizza Mia, AJ’s Pizza, and Target to be distributed to residents who need a helping hand. “There are families in Wilmington that are out of work and struggling to make ends meet. If we can at least help them purchase their weekly groceries, hopefully we can help ease some of the burden they are carrying”, said Ahern. But he also wanted to reach out to front line medical employees as well, “There are health care workers out there who are tired and overwhelmed. I’m sure the last thing they want to do after work is cook dinner for their families. Hopefully by providing them with a gift card to buy dinner, they’ll have the opportunity to just come home and relax after a long day.” After hearing about the cause, from School Resource Officer Dan Cadigan, members of the Wilmington High School Administration and faculty also purchased gift cards to contribute to this effort.

Chief Joseph Desmond praised the work of his officers, “This is who we are. We are a group of men and women that truly care about the community of Wilmington. I am so proud of the work that our Officers do each day. I also want to thank the members of the Police Explorers and the Wilmington High Staff members that joined us in this cause.”

For those that might need food assistance during the pandemic, the Wilmington Food Pantry is fully operational. You can find information on how to receive food assistance for how to donate at http://www.commfund.org.

 

WPD and WHS Join Forces to Support the Community