Page 47 - January 2020 FOP Magazine

12th District Officers follow a pizza delivery route for the homeless
Amid one of the busiest times of the year, when the community is preparing for the holidays, officers from the 12th District took time out of their day to help deliver warm pizzas to the homeless. The effort to provide sustenance to those who have nothing during the holiday season began when the Heavenly Orphans Proj- ect asked Chicago Police Officers to help deliver pizzas throughout the communi- ty.
“They wanted us to be a part of their day, helping out the less fortunate in our neighborhood,” noted 12th District Ser- geant Mark Czapla, who helped load up a patrol car with dozens of boxes of warm pizza to distribute to hungry people on the streets.
Czapla, along with officer Paris Ed- wards and other 12th District bike offi- cers, spent Dec. 13 delivering the pizzas provided by the Heavenly Orphans Proj- ect, which works all year to provide care to abandoned animals.
“Homelessness is not a crime, so we try to help out as much as we can,” Czapla said. “They’re not like other peo-
ple who are able to go out and purchase a meal from McDonald’s or Pizza Hut. They appreciate the kind gesture during their time of need.”
Together, the 12th District officers distributed close to 100 pizzas to less fortunate individuals, offering them a warm meal and heartfelt encouragement during a challenging time of year for the homeless.
“Every day you hope you impact someone’s life in a positive way,” Czapla shared. “That’s what Heavenly Orphans
is all about, and we were happy to help them out.”
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JANUARY 2020 47