SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio — Patrol cars pulled up to a Help Foundation group home Friday morning, but this wasn't a typical police call.
Officers arrived with arms full of wrapped gifts for residents with developmental disabilities — the result of the South Euclid Police Department's first-ever holiday drive specifically for this community.
"This was the first annual. Hopefully we're going to continue this for years to come, but we weren't quite expecting the turnout that we got," said Officer Andrea Galbraith, who organized the drive. "And it just goes to show what the community is that we live in here, that people are willing to go out of their way."
A personal mission
For Galbraith, this cause hits close to home.
"My aunt is actually a former special needs teacher; she did that for her entire career, retired from that. That led to my sister becoming involved in the developmental disability world as well," Galbraith said. "She worked at a place called Hattie Larlham, and then she switched over to Cuyahoga County Board of DD. So now that she's there, we talk all the time, because our jobs relate to each other a lot more than we would've ever imagined."
That family connection has shaped how Galbraith approaches her work as a patrol officer.
"I've found that because I know a lot of the terminologies ... so that makes them a little bit more at ease because it's like, 'Oh, this isn't just a police officer that's coming to talk to me. This is somebody who understands the world I'm living in,'" she explained. "And so it just does really make that bridge a lot easier for me to make way with individuals."
Galbraith says she responds to nearly every call involving someone with a developmental disability or mental health issue.
"I'm one of the few officers that go to probably every single call that has something to do with somebody that has developmental disability or any kind of psychiatric issue or anything of that nature. Mental health, that's kind of my forte, so I'm on every single one of those calls," she told us. "I know a lot of the individuals in our community that are in the developmental world just from going to calls and being there and being a familiar face time and time again."
Community responds
South Euclid police partnered with the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities for the drive. For weeks, community members dropped off items from personalized wish lists — everything from Cleveland sports memorabilia to journals, nail polish. and a bathrobe.
"We're known for going above and beyond here, we're known for being respectful and being professional and being polite, and that's just really what our department strives for," Galbraith said. "We don't want to necessarily always be seen as the enemy. There is a part of our job that does make us that, and we understand that and there are times where that is necessary, but we're also here for the community and we're here to protect them and keep them safe and make them feel comfortable when we're around."
Amber Gibbs, CEO and superintendent of Cuyahoga DD, says the partnership sends a powerful message.
"People with developmental disabilities often live on really limited incomes, and so making sure that they have some money to spend on the holidays, making things joyful, can be really difficult for individuals with disabilities. It can be hard for the providers that serve them every day," Gibbs noted. "And so when an organization like the South Euclid Police Department reaches out and says, 'We want to help,' it really sends a message that everyone in our community is important, everyone deserves to have a holiday season that is joyful and exciting. And it really goes to prove what we already know, which is that Greater Cleveland is the most welcoming and inclusive place that you could be."
A special delivery
Thursday morning, officers and volunteers wrapped the gifts at the police department before loading up patrol cars. Galbraith brought along her 4-year-old daughter, Ella, to help hand out presents.
"I have my daughter and then I've got two stepdaughters, and they absolutely adore what I do. They talk about it all the time, and I make sure that they see that it's a good thing and it's not just the bad that we unfortunately see often," Galbraith said. "So it is very heartwarming to know that she can be a part of this today and can see me doing these good things and know that the police aren't always scary and mean; that we're human, and we're just here to make things better for everybody."
Susan Berneike, vice president at Help Foundation, says the gesture meant everything to the residents.
"We are a provider for individuals with developmental disabilities," Berneike explained. "We've been serving the community for 60 years. We have a residential program serving about 100 residents, and then we also do adult day services of vocational rehabilitation and employment services."
"It's absolutely incredible; we have wonderful partners all year long. It's especially meaningful. A lot of the individuals we work with don't have family members who are actively involved," Berneike added. "So to have the community come out and assist and celebrate, spread joy, I mean, it just means so much, and folks have been anticipating this visit all week, so it's incredibly meaningful and just we couldn't ask for more. And just again, wonderful partners with the county board, the South Euclid Police Department. It's just been fantastic."
Support from Cleveland sports community
The drive received major support from Cleveland sports organizations. The Guardians donated jerseys, bobbleheads, shirts and hats after learning the residents were big fans. The Browns Barkers club also contributed a $1,000 cash donation to the home.
"It's been great. Every single person that I've been in contact with — whether it be from Cuyahoga County DD or whether it be from the Help Foundation, which is the company that runs the group home that we're sponsoring this year — everybody's been phenomenal," Galbraith said. "Everybody has been quick to get answers or very appreciative of what's going on."
Building awareness
There are 18 congregate group homes in South Euclid overseen by Cuyahoga DD, housing about 100 individuals with developmental disabilities. South Euclid Police plan to make this an annual tradition, sponsoring different homes each year.
Galbraith hopes the drive does more than just spread holiday cheer — she wants it to educate the community about the diversity within South Euclid.
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