Sheriff’s office, BLESS team up to ‘Give a Kid a Chance’
The Floyd County Sheriff’s Office partnered with BLESS Coalition and Crosspoint Community Church for an event Saturday that featured multiple giveaways to local families with children.
Back to school supplies, lunch, and firefighter helmets were just some of the items volunteers handed out during the “Give a Kid a Chance” event held at the Floyd County Jail.
For some of these families, this is a way to help make sure that their children are ready for school. The face-to-face connection was another benefit.
“It’s very important for children to know that the officers care about them and care about the people of Floyd County,” said Rome resident Shrie Young, who brought her family to the event.
The event drew in tons of people from throughout the community, with BLESS leader Jason Cribb saying that he didn’t anticipate the big turnout.
“We’re overwhelmed with the support, but the partnerships and getting the word out made today possible,” Cribb added.
On the other side of that, Chaplain David Thornton of the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office said that he did expect a big crowd.
“People are hurting right now, and we did a good job advertising the event,” he said. The thing that sticks out to him the most, he said is that “the children’s faces when they get their backpacks and school supplies is priceless.”
Sheriff Dave Roberson said that events like this are important to him because, “it’s always about creating positive relationships with our agencies and the church and schools within the community.”
Rome City and Floyd County Police Department personnel also were on hand to replace old car seats that families had with newer ones. They also made sure that parents knew the right method of strapping the car seat in.