It was a day of smiles at Concord’s Head Start preschool program.
All 102 children in the early-education program from toddlers to 5-year-olds received brand new winter coats Tuesday, allowing them to play outside when the weather turns freezing.
The donation was part of the Concord Police Department’s “Blue Elf” program.
Last year, the Concord Police Department received an anonymous donation of $50,000 to “pay it forward” in the Concord community. So far, the Blue Elf project has brought them to supermarkets and department stores where officers gave out gift cards to people doing holiday shopping. Concord police gave presents to kids they met while working in the community, and in the Concord Hospital pediatric unit. They also helped people in need with their auto repair payments and provided funding to utility bills.
Several officers were there Tuesday to hand out the multi-colored coats to dozens of children, who were tickled with their new wares.
“The impact of receiving these coats and ski pants is huge,” said Jeanne Agri, executive director for the Community Action Program for Belknap and Merrimack counties, which runs the Head Start program.
“A lot of the kids can’t go outside unless they have the appropriate gear. The smiles and joy watching the kids receive the gifts is why we do the work we do because it’s absolutely amazing,” Agri said.
The man who made the connection with the Concord police was Andy Labrie, the special project coordinator for the Community Action Program.
Labrie thought this type of donation would make a difference in the daily lives of children.
“We chose this project for the kids to get them jackets to keep them warm,” Labrie said. “Now we need boots and hats and mittens for them.”
Labrie and a small army of officers spent 3½ hours at JC Penney buying the coats. The store stationed four employees with the team of shoppers to make sure they got everything they needed.
“We’re always looking for a need, especially with this time of the year,” Concord police Officer Ryan Howe said. “One of the needs was here at Head Start to give 100 jackets for 100 kids to keep them warm for the holiday season.”
Howe gave the children high-fives as they received their new jackets.
“It’s good for the kids to see us in a positive light,” he said. “Holiday season, you always want to give back.”
The coat drive is just one of the ways the Concord police has been giving back during this year as well as last year.
“It was quite a successful endeavor right around the Christmas holidays,” Concord police Chief Brad Osgood said during a city council meeting earlier this month. “But it was more than just showing up at a supermarket and handing gift cards to people doing their holiday shopping. From that point in time until this summer, we were able to reach out and provide assistance with this funding to survivors of violent crime. As you’re aware, we had a very, very violent summer.”
Police visited victims of crime they had worked with and provided gift boxes and gift cards to their families. Osgood said the reception was incredible.
“People, especially those who have had to endure so much hardship, were incredibly grateful,” he said.
Osgood said the police department has received another $50,000 this year to continue the Blue Elf project. In addition, the donor has set up a trust at the Upton & Hatfield law firm for anyone who wants to donate to the program.
“In my nearly 31 years of police experience in the city of Concord, this has been the single greatest community policing initiative that we’ve ever done,” Osgood said.