Shopping for a Cause: Shop with a Cop Recap | #GanimGivesBack | Blog #17

The holiday season is a time for giving, and at Ganim Company, we are dedicated to giving back to our community. That’s why we are proud to partner with the Cleveland First District Police and Ward 16 Councilman Kazy for the annual Shop with a Cop event. This program offers children from underserved families the chance to experience a memorable Christmas.

In 2022, the Cleveland First District Police launched the initiative by meeting families at Target, where kids shopped for gifts from their wish lists and took them home that same night. Though the event was small in its first year, the Cleveland Police Department recognized its potential and planned for growth in the following year.

In 2023, Ganim Company joined forces to help expand the program. We hosted a fundraiser featuring many raffles, with all proceeds going toward gifts for the children. The Cleveland Police Department then reached out to families to collect Christmas lists, and Ganim employees teamed up with officers for a shopping trip to Target to pick out gifts. The main event brought together 100 kids, their families, officers, and Ganim employees to enjoy food, meet Santa, and receive their wrapped presents. Additionally, the kids were treated to a surprise Cookie Drive, thanks to generous donations from the families of Ganim Company and the CPD.

The 2023 event was a huge success and received heartfelt appreciation from the children and their families. The positive feedback from this year’s event led to a planning meeting in January 2024, where we laid the foundation for this holiday season. We were ready to take the event to the next level, holding multiple fundraisers that raised over $10,000 to support the cause.

After months of hard work, meticulous planning, and countless hours of preparation, the much-anticipated event finally began. As the doors opened, around 200 kids and their families poured in. Kids lined up to meet Santa, make crafts, get their pictures taken in a photo booth, eat food, and receive their gifts! Watching the kids and their families create such happy, lasting memories made all the months of planning, hard work, and effort feel more than worthwhile. We are so excited to see how we can improve this event even further next year!