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Small contributions make a big difference
The police have always stepped up. Whether it is for one of their own or for those in need, you can count on a cop to do the right thing. While there are many opportunities during the year to make a difference, the holi-
day season is a popular time to give. It
might be because we are in the giving
spirit and it may be that we realize that
no one should be suffering during this
time of year. The reality is that many people are hurting. Adversity doesn’t take a holiday break.
Within the police community, there are many wor- thy organizations and holiday outreach programs from which you can choose. It doesn’t take much to make a big difference. Most organizations rely on small donations, and it is the sum of many small contributions during the holidays that make up the majority of most small non- profit budgets.
Here are some suggestions and convenient links.
Chicago Police Memorial Foundation runs Operation Santa, a two-day campaign that took place this year on Dec. 10 and Dec. 11. On those days, Santa and Mrs. Claus boarded a Secret Service presidential limousine and trav- eled in a police motorcade throughout the Chicago area delivering gifts to our families. Santa, Mrs. Claus and their elves, accompanied by CPMF supporters and friends, delivered holiday cheer while presenting the children of fallen and catastrophically injured officers with gifts that had been personally selected for them. If you missed the actual event, you can still contribute; the CPMF accepts donations for this great campaign and other initiatives all year. (www.cpdmemorial.org)
100 Club of Chicago provides immediate and ongoing assistance to the families of first responders who have lost their lives in the line of duty. (www.100clubchicago.org)
Brotherhood for the Fallen is a nationally recognized 501(c) (3) organization comprised of Chicago Police Offi- cers who physically and financially demonstrate support to Officers who have been murdered in the line of duty across the United States and Canada. (brotherhoodfor- thefallen.org/about-us)
Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) is an organi- zation dedicated to helping the survivors of law enforce- ment officers who have died in the line of duty. (https:// ilcops.org)
Officer Down Memorial is a support and advocacy or- ganization on behalf of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. (www.odmp.org)
Fraternal Order of Police Family Auxiliary is made 24 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ DECEMBER 2016
up of family members of FOP Police Officers, active and retired. Membership includes spouses, parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, grandparents, in-laws, and children
TOM TUOHY
FOP
Benefits Plan
over the age of 18. The Auxiliary supports family of police officers in need and has established an Ed- ucational Fund, which awards $500 to a police officer’s child attending preschool through high
school. (www.chicagofop.org/family-auxillary)
Imerman Angels provides free personalized one- on-one cancer support for cancer fighters, survivors,
and their caregivers. (imermanangels.org)
I founded Dreams for Kids 28 years ago with support from Chicago Police Officers and the FOP. Our mission is to train and mentor youth as social entrepreneurs, pro- viding practical education, real-world training and con- temporary job skills as they create enterprises that pro- vide solutions to society’s critical social issues. One of those enterprises is Holiday for Hope, which brings more than 1,200 homeless and severely at-risk youth from Illi- nois to the Broadway Armory each year along with music, games, crafts, food, resources and 3,000 toys. As our youth leaders who create this day say, they are giving a hand up, not a handout. Even though many of our youth are at risk in some manner, they are proud to be part of a solution in their communities. Please join us this year on December 17. (www.dreamsforkids.org)
There are many other worthy causes in the Chicago area, and plenty in every city in the U.S. To be certain your donations are given to the best organizations and that the funds are used in the most efficient and effective way, a good resource to determine a nonprofit’s reputation, le- gitimacy and transparency is Guidestar, the world’s larg- est source of information on nonprofits (www.guidestar. org).
This has been a challenging year. Let’s do our best to give to those who have had greater challenges than us. Wishing you and your family a joyful holiday and a safe and healthy 2017.d
Tom Tuohy is the founder of Tuohy Law Offices and the FOP Benefits Plan. He has been a police lawyer for 34 years. His father was a CPD detective and his grandfather was CPD Chief of Major Investigations. Tom can be reached at 312- 559-8400. Registration for the FOP Benefits Plan for FOP members and family is free. Visit www.fopbenefitsplan. com or call 866-729-5454 for assistance with registering.