Page 36 - June2020 FOP Magazine

A Hub of Relief
In the thick of protests, community members band together for a law enforcement safe haven
n BY KAREN STAHL
As Sharon Mulhearn watched Chicago Police Officers pour in from the streets to enjoy donations of food and water on June 2, she realized that the tears she shed over the past few days had been a call to action.
After the beginning of civil unrest on May 29, Mulhearn’s friend, Gina Arredia, who works for the Chicago Park District, posted on Facebook requesting donations for CPD officers in Armour Square Park. Mulhearn saw the post and immediately texted Arredia.
“We called some restaurants and asked if they would donate food, and they were more than happy to,” Mulhearn relayed.
With a sudden influx of support from volunteers and local restaurants, the women were able to set up a relief hub full of food and drinks for officers in Armour Square Park on June 2, during the thick of the protests. The hub remained open for seven days, run entirely by volunteers through donations.
And members needed the support. After responding to more than a week of around-the-clock protests across the city in the wake of the George Floyd incident in Minneapolis — including protests in Millennium Park, Hyde Park, McKinley Park, the South Loop and Wilson Yard — the relief was a wel- come gift.
For Mulhearn, the hub had a personal tie. As the wife of a 20-year Lodge 7 member, she understands the importance of backing the blue.
“While they’re going through the lines, the officers are con- stantly saying, ‘Thank you,’ but we were like, ‘No, thank you for being out there protecting our city,’” Mulhearn recalled. “They were so surrounded with the protestors, being yelled at, and we were really proud and thankful we could do this for them.”
Mulhearn currently has all five of her children home during the ongoing pandemic, and she noted that it was important that they learn how to be there for Chicago Police Officers. Her daughters showed up to help at the hub for two days. And Mulhearn said she would do a donation initiative again in a heartbeat for members.
“I am very proud to be a part of it,” she expressed. “I’m proud of my husband being a police officer, and I’ll do every- thing I can to be there for our police officers.”
36 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JULY 2020