AUSTIN, Texas — Many of us can think back to our childhoods, when we made a wish list of everything we hoped to get for the holidays. But sadly, this is not every child's reality.
That's where Amigos en Azul comes in.
The group is an Austin Police Department (APD) organization formed to act as a community liaison between the department and Austin's Hispanic communities.
Amigos en Azul started Shop with a Cop in 2006 with a small group of members taking a few underprivileged children shopping during the holidays. It has become so popular, it's now a two-day event, with Target as an official sponsor.
Aside from it being fun, Shop with a Cop offers children and police officers a chance to bond.
"A lot of times people only see us in bad circumstances and especially with children. We want to make sure that they are aware that we're here to help them,” APD officer and Amigos en Azul president Vanessa Jimenez said.
“You realize they're not just like any other kid, a kid that is thinking of a wish list where they're going to put Playstation or a video game console or toys. They're thinking of buying just basic items," she said. "And most of us think, 'Oh, everybody has a sweater, everybody has some shoes,' but not them. So that was my biggest eye-opening experience with them.”
The goal is to provide $150 to each child and help about 200 kids from 10 area schools.
You can help make that happen. Visit here for a link to the Shop with a Cop donation page. APD hopes to collect all donations by Dec. 1, as the shopping sprees will take place in mid-December.