Page 49 - 2018 July Newsletter

oh rogra a ersoa assio for CA officer
n BY ERIKA WURST
For 2nd District CAPS Officer Shanita Foster, helping the com- munity is more than a full-time job. When Foster takes off her uniform after a long day at work, she puts on her minister hat and continues her goal to strive for change in Chicago.
Her work with Solid Rock Outreach Missions Ministries, a faith-based organization aimed at helping youth and curbing vi- olence, melds perfectly with her job on the Chicago Police force and allows her to reach people on and off the clock.
“I believe more faith-based ministry, regardless of religion, should get out in the community,” she said. “The police can’t do it on their own. We have to do it as a community.”
Foster puts on as many hats as she needs to make sure that happens. Last year, in memory of her cousin who was shot and killed over a basketball game at a Chicago park, Foster created the Neighborhoods Uniting Kids in Excellence (NUKIE) Youth Program as part of her ministry. The program’s goal is to reduce violence in the community and teach kids and teens life skills that strengthen and empower them.
“I’m a CAPS officer, but I’m also a minister,” Foster said. “I jump from side to side.”
Sometimes, when she’s lucky, Foster’s two jobs meld together. Morton School of Excellence principal had a concern, and a re- quest. Many of the school’s students were afraid of the local po- lice, a thought that rubbed Foster the wrong way. She was eager to help change the kids’ perspective and knew just how to do it.
NUKIE presented a program called “Bridging the Gap Be- tween the Community and the Police” on June 15. Police officers from across the city – including the 2nd, 6th and 10th districts –
Officer Jack Garrity (left, crouching), CAPS Officer Shanita Foster (left, red shirt), Officer Daniel Modaine (center) and Detective Marco Acevedo (right, sitting) pose for a postgame picture with youngsters after a basketball game on June 15. The game was part of a program called “Bridging the Gap Between the Community and Police.
were invited to play basketball with 7th- and 8th-grade students whose preconceived notions left them afraid of the police.
“The goal behind this was to build their trust in the police department,” Foster said. Students and officers were placed on teams together and encouraged to communicate and interact. As they shot hoops for about an hour, barriers broke down and smiles shined across faces.
In a video taken at the event, students raved about their time playing with the cops. They thanked the officers profusely for their time and willingness to come out.
“We want to change the way they feel about the police, in spite of the media,” Foster said. Using her ministry and her ties with the department, she was able to accomplish her mission. What started as a basketball game was the catalyst for change.d
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CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JULY 2018 49
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