Page 56 - FOP March 2017 Newsletter

15th District clothing drive supports community
n BY NICK SWEDBERG
The viral video of a 15th District officer giving a winter coat to a homeless man earlier this year helped spur the contribution of piles of clothing during a February charity drive to help those in need.
Officer Peter White, a 17-year veteran, said garbage bags and tables inside the District headquarters overflowed with coats, jackets, shirts, pants and other items thanks to generous donations from people and organizations across the Chicago area. “I didn’t think it was going to go that far,” White said, noting that items came in from Oak Park and neighborhoods outside of the 15th District.
Officer White and his partner, Officer Robert Osborne, gained a bit of local fame earlier this year after they ful- filled a promise to bring a winter jacket to the homeless man they ticketed during a prior encounter as he collected money near a busy expressway ramp. Osborne recorded the encounter and the video earned thousands of views on social media, but it also inspired other officers and com- munity members to donate. In the midst of the media at- tention, the two officers were already discussing with their commander what more they could do to help, White said.
“When my partner and I spoke with the commander be-
fore the cameras came in to do the interview, we were just talking. We see these homeless guys without coats or with ... wet pants. And we do feel bad,” he said. “Once we announced [the drive], it just took over.”
Word quickly spread to churches, domestic violence
shelters and the alderman’s of-
fice. White couldn’t say for sure
how much clothing was col-
lected, but there was enough
left over after local organiza-
tions made their pickups for
the station to keep some items available should officers come across more people in need.
The spirit of help continues, as the
district is now collecting diapers and
toys for small children. And there are
already plans for another coat drive
ahead of next winter, White said. Through it all, he remains surprised by the enormous response. “It felt good. It felt nice. It felt like people cared,” White said. d
56 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MARCH 2017