‘Thank a Cop’

‘THANK YOU’  The three parishes in Long Valley — Our Lady of the Valley (OLM), St. Luke’s and St. Mark’s — contributed to “Thank a Cop,” a drive that collected “thank you” cards and gift cards to show their appreciation to local police officers. Pam Hodgskin, an OLM parishioner, mother of a police officer and coordinator of the drive, presents a “thank you” basket to Det. Anthony DaCunza of the Chester Township Police Department.

LONG VALLEY  The shootings of police officers across the nation in recent months inspired the faithful of three parishes here — Our Lady of the Mountain (OLM), St. Mark’s and St. Luke’s — to respond with overwhelming generosity to “Thank a Cop,” a local drive that collected “thank you” cards and gift cards to show their heartfelt appreciation to the local “men and women in blue” for the risks they take to keep the public safe.

For several weeks during the summer, the three faith communities in this rural township collected “thank you” cards, $10 gift cards to major fast-food restaurants and coffee and donut shops and other tokens of appreciation from parishioners.

Pam Hodgskin, an OLM parishioner and mother of a police officer, who devised the campaign, hand-delivered the items to local police departments. Parishioners placed the cards and other items in colorful, eye-catching bins, located in the vestibules of their respective churches.

“It [‘Thank a Cop’] was an amazing success all due to the generosity of the parishioners from OLM, St. Mark’s and St. Luke’s,” said Hodgkin, who put together three baskets of all the items and delivered them with husband, Renny, to the Washington Township Police Department, the Chester Police De­partment and the State Trooper Barracks in Netcong. “It was an overwhelming, emotional experience to have the opportunity to present these gifts of ‘thanks’ to these police officers in person as a representative of our communities,” Hodgkin said. “They were so grateful for our outpouring of love and support and shared with us how much it meant to them to know that there really are people out there who appreciate what they do and that prayers are being offered for them.”

Hogskin collected the following times for the drive: 320 cards and letters; 260 cards that contained gift cards; 45 gift cards by themselves; 50 goodie bags; two posters and Frisbee for a K9 dog. Also Children from the Vacation Bible School (VBS) at OLM wrote cards and put together police officers’ appreciation kits with the tag line, “Some sweets before you hit the streets,” under the direction of Kim Smith, the parish’s secretary. The kits included various types of candy, Hodgkin said.

Hodgskin came up with the “Thank a Cop” drive, while traveling to Mass at OLM. She heard a radio report about the shooting of two on-duty police officers — a story that hit her hard, since she comes from a law-enforcement family. Hodgskin’s late father, John Prunty, served as a New York City police officer. Her brother, John, is retired from the N.Y. Police Department. Hodgskin’s son left the Philadelphia Police Department to become a Pennsylvania State Trooper.

Hodgskin spoke with Msgr. Joseph Goode, pastor of OLM and St. Mark’s, who endorsed her “Thank a Cop” drive and suggested that it might include all three Long Valley parishes.

In a summer bulletin announcement, Msgr. Goode encouraged parishioners from the three Long Valley faith communities to contribute to the “Thank a Cop” drive.

“In light of the several murders of officers over the past year and most recently the past two weeks, it is time for us to stand up and thank these fine men and women, who put their lives on the line each and every day to protect us. They need to know that we are grateful for all they do,” Msgr. Goode writes.

Hodgkin asks everyone to continue to keep all police officers in their prayers.