Annual Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Shop-With-Cop
Person Issuing this Press Release: Lt. David Zizkovsky, Enforcement Operations Lieutenant
Date and Time of Incident: Saturday, December 14th, 2024. 7:15 AM
Type of Incident: Annual Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Shop-With-Cop
Location of Incident: Niles Wal-Mart; Michiana Christian Embassy
Agencies Involved: Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Unit, Berrien County Sherriff’s Office Chaplains, City of St. Joseph Department of Public Safety.
On Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 7:15 AM, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office hosted their annual “Shop with a Cop” event at the Walmart Supercenter in Niles, Michigan. Following the shopping, participants gathered at the Michiana Christian Embassy Church for Christmas present wrapping. A special thank you goes to Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Unit Sergeant Kimberly Fedison, who dedicates countless hours to organizing this wonderful event, including securing donations to make it all possible.
In 2024, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Unit partnered with the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Chaplains, the Saint Joseph City Department of Public Safety, the Southwest Michigan Boys & Girls Club, and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Enforcement Division along with several local Berrien County School Districts to make the 2024 “Shop with a Cop” program a success.
The “shopping” consisted of the families and children being adopted by law enforcement officers and then proceeding through the entire Walmart store to select and purchase the gifts they desired for themselves and their loved ones.
This year, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, alongside our partner agencies and organizations, made a meaningful impact by supporting eight families and twenty-four children. Each child received $225 to shop for Christmas gifts for themselves, their loved ones, and friends.
The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office not only facilitated funding for children to enjoy a shopping experience, but they also received enough generous donations for this special event so that each family was delightfully surprised with a holiday food basket along with an extra gift card at the conclusion of the event. This extra gift card for each family was presented as an additional gift to purchase everyday essentials that are often overlooked. This unique combination of giving aims to enhance each Shop-With-A-Cop Family’s holiday celebrations at home, ensuring they have a festive meal, gifts under the tree, and a little something special for their loved ones.
The following businesses and civic organizations donated money, goods, and services to this function. Without these donations, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Unit would not have been able to assist the eight families and their children:
- Wal-Mart Super Center - Niles
- Near North Title Group
- RedBud Recreation Inc (RedBud MX - Motocross)
- LECO Corporation
- A & B Costanza Farms
- Four Rookies Inc (Wings, Etc.)
- Wightman Architecture & Design
- Stevensville United Methodist Church
- Michiana Christian Embassy
- Thrive Psychology
- Friends for Berrien Springs
- Catholic School House of St. Joseph
- Jim & Gayle Hagenbarth
- Antibus Scales & Systems
- Andy & Shelly Archer
- Steve Heilig
- Berrien County Sheriff’s Office
- Berrien County Sheriff’s Office – Reserve Division
- The Grinch
- Several Anonymous Donations
- Sub-way @ Niles Wal-Mart
The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Unit Deputies take great pride in assisting families through the Sheriff’s Office Annual Shop-With-A-Cop Program during the holiday season. The smiles of gratitude on the faces of these children and the “hugs” provided by the adults and children to the Deputies and Officers are something that the Deputies and Officers will also remember and cherish.
Sheriff Chuck Heit and the administrative staff at the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office are extremely proud of the efforts put forth by the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Unit for this wonderful cause, as well as all of the volunteer hours the Reserve Unit dedicates to the County of Berrien and the local communities throughout the year ensuring the County of Berrien, local communities, and the surrounding areas are a wonderful place to reside and visit.
The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Personnel and all local law enforcement and first responders are proud to serve and protect their communities on a daily basis, as well as being able to provide support to individuals, when they need assistance. The members of the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, the Saint Joseph Department of Public Safety, and the Southwest Michigan Boys & Girls Club wish everyone “Peace and Joy” this holiday season.
