Optimist Clubs help children give to others

I've posted a few stories with pictures of Shop with a Cop programs on the Experience Optimism page on Facebook. Oddly,they weren't clicked through as frequently as other stories have been.

I thought Christmas was all about kids, and Optimist Clubs were all about making sure that everyone had the opportunity to celebrate?

Yes, I know there is a "reason for the season" and we shouldn't teach children to be materialistic, but if you aren't familiar, a Shop with a Cop program generally works like this:

• The organizing group raises money to send children on a shopping trip.
• On the day of the event, each child is told how much they have to spend.
• An adult, often a police officer, is partnered with a child and goes along with them to be sure that they buy something for themselves.

That's right; most kids want to spend the money purchasing gifts for others. Now I think that is the spirit of Christmas.

Click here for pictures from the Calvert County Optimist Club Shop with a Cop Day.
Click here for pictures from the Timonium Optimist Club Shop with a Cop program.
Click here to see more about the Gresham Optimist Club Shop with a Cop program.

Photo courtesy of Jean Jensen, Optimist Club of Gresham, Oregon.