Merced police help local students have a ‘Merry Christmas’

Merced Police Department officers on Thursday pitched in to help area children have a nice Christmas.

Through community donations, officers were able to take students from every school in the district around the Merced Mall to buy gifts or things they needed, Lt. Jay Struble said. It’s a way for the police department “to reach out to the community and give back,” he said.

This time of year is about giving, Struble added, and the annual event is an opportunity to do that.

The students got to eat lunch with the officers and ride in their police cars, Struble said. “And it gives the students and the officers the chance to bond and see a connection there that normally wouldn’t be made,” he said.

The 19 kids the Merced City School District picked out were all “deserving” of this opportunity and would benefit from it and some also had to overcome hardships or challenges” said Sara Sandrik, the school district spokeswoman.

Edrian Figueroa, 14, moved to Merced from Puerto Rico escaping the aftermath of Hurricane Maria about three months ago with his mom and sister.

It was “very difficult” getting food and water after the hurricane, Figueroa said. Although their house was still standing, it was damaged badly by strong winds and their beds were broken and soaked from heavy rain.

“It was hard to get water,” the eighth-grader from Cruikshank Middle school said. Most people had to trade each other for food and water.

Figueroa and his family were finally able to get electricity five days before they left for Merced to live with family members, he said.

He said he was happy to be in Merced with his family for Christmas and enjoyed Thursday’s outing with local police officers.

“It feels good to be here,” Figueroa said.

Monica Velez: 209-385-2486, @monicavelez21

This story was originally published December 14, 2017 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Merced police help local students have a ‘Merry Christmas’."