With a contribution from the Royal Oak Civic Foundation, Royal Oak police officers have made small acts of kindness with outsized results.
In December, the foundation bought gift cards for Shop with a Hero from Meijer stores, with Meijer matching the amount. While it helped all the children who attended, it still had cards left over. They turned out to be a perfect solution to a need identified by police Sergeant Ryan Spangler. The foundation’s donation enabled his officers to use the cards to alleviate the human needs they often encounter in their work.
Just a few of these gift card recipients and their stories include:
- Over the years officers have had frequent contact with a lifelong Royal Oak resident, who is also a veteran undergoing cancer treatment, and his wife, now his full-time caregiver. On a recent call they provided the couple with a gift card for groceries. Officers offered further assistance if needed and said the man, overcome with emotion, thanked them with a hug.
- Two days in a row an officer encountered a man whose vehicle had run out of gas. He learned that this gentleman was struggling financially and couldn’t fill his tank to get to work. The officer gave him a gift card and made sure he could get to Meijer to fill his tank.
- Instead of a traffic ticket, an officer gave a local market worker a gift card, leaving her in tears.
- On a call at the Meijer store, officers met a family in need and, after speaking with them, provided gift cards to assist with purchasing baby food and diapers.
- Officers frequently check on a local grandmother who is struggling as the primary caregiver for grandchildren. After discovering that they’d lost heat and were staying in a motel, officers tracked them down and provided gift cards for food and clothing.
“These thoughtful gestures not only provide immediate assistance but also strengthen the bond between our police department, the Royal Oak Civic Foundation, and the people we serve,” said foundation Chair Tom McGannon. “This is exactly why the foundation was created and why donors trust us to use their contributions creatively and effectively.”
