SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio — The South Euclid Police Department concluded a holiday drive Friday (Dec. 19) that was held in partnership with the Cuyahoga Board of Developmental Disabilities to benefit adults living in a group home within the city.
SEPD officers knew they wanted to go beyond “just another toy drive,” said patrol officer Andrea Galbraith. “We wanted to do something to stand out and something to truly focus on our community.”
Galbraith has always had a heart for people with developmental disabilities, as her sister, Jessica, works at Cuyahoga board as a support administrator, and their aunt taught children with disabilities for her entire career.
“I’ve seen the struggle they go through and know how sometimes they struggle more than the rest in just trying to be accepted in the community,” Galbraith said in a Cuyahoga Board of Developmental Disabilities release. “I thought this was a perfect opportunity to not only share some holiday magic, but to also educate the community on exactly how diverse we are in South Euclid.
“We have 18 (group homes) just in our city,” she said. “Our city motto is ‘Come Together and Thrive,’ which is something we can’t do if we don’t know and understand those living amongst us.”
South Euclid police hope to continue every year what was their first Neighbor’s Helping Wishes Come True Holiday Donation Drive by annually sponsoring different homes.
This year, the beneficiaries live in a six-person home run by The HELP Foundation.
Gifts collected during this year’s 19-day drive included a $1,000 cash donation from the Browns Barkers, who meet regularly at The Black Forest Bar and Grill, 4368 Mayfield Road in South Euclid. Other donated items were those included in a wish list supplied by the home.
The police department’s Facebook page states that The HELP Foundation “runs the day-to-day functionality of this group home and strives to create the safest environment for these individuals to develop strong community relations with the assistance of 24-hour care.”
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