Edmonton Police helping families in need through Holiday Heroes campaign

The Edmonton Police Foundation has created a new program to help officers give back to those in need.

Its Holiday Heroes campaign enables police units to provide gifts for ten Indigenous families. In partnership with Bent Arrow, the ten selected families get $1,000 worth of goods from their wish list.

“What we’re doing is basically looking after Christmas for them,” Edmonton Police Foundation Chair Ashif Mawji said. “Christmas should be the last thing that they worry about.”

The Edmonton Police Crime Suppression Unit dropped off gifts for Annabelle Jimmy-Delorme and her two young grandsons.

“It means a lot because with no money budget-wise there’s hardly any present for the boys, so this helps me a lot,” Jimmy-Delorme said. “Supporting the two boys by myself — it’s very hard sometimes money-wise — so this is very very helpful.”

“We’ve taken the pool of money that has been given to us by our generous donors and putting it to really good use, and being part of the community and helping where we can,” Mawji said.

Jimmy-Delorme listed some of the things on her family’s list:

“Chromebook, skates, gift cards, winter gear like jackets, boots … I asked for shovels because I want them to help me shovel the snow,” she said.

“We’re really involved in the negative a lot of times, but also bringing the positive out as well,” Insp. Angela Kemp said about the Crime Suppression Unit.

“We’re able to be part of this engagement with the families, [showing] how both sides of the policing works.”

Kemp said she wants the community to know they’re here to be supportive.

“We really want to impart Merry Christmas, the spirit and understanding, that the police are here and we’re part of the family, and we’re part of the community,” she said.

“That’s what we really enjoy is that community engagement piece.”

Jimmy-Delorme is grateful.

“Thank you so much — very grateful that they did this for us,”

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