Erika Gibbons‘s mother was worried that her straight-A student daughter wouldn’t have much of a Christmas this year, so she took a chance and called her local police precinct for assistance. Luckily, Officer Che Milton was up for being the Gibbons family’s personal Santa. Not only that, he got the community involved.
When Milton got the call that the Gibbons children wouldn’t have any gifts, he told his colleagues they should do something. He even went on Facebook to spread the word, and had Erika and her grandmother come to the precinct with a Christmas list. When Milton saw that Erika had a tablet at the top of her list, he gave the 13-year-old money for it right then and there.
“It’s part of what we do,” Officer Milton told local WSB. “We wear many hats as police officers, so we are just trying to help.”
Officer Milton is known for his generosity. When a 12-year-old girl got caught shoplifting shoes for her sister earlier this year, Milton saw that her family needed help. He then went and got food and other items for them.
On Christmas Eve, Officer Milton and his partner showed up at the Gibbons’ home with gifts that came from all over, including a church and a woman who drove two hours to give a $100 gift card for the family.
Erika was very grateful to Officer Milton and the rest of the Zone 1 Precinct.
“For everybody to just come together and help me and my family out with amazing gifts and cards and stuff, it really does feel wonderful.”
She told WSB that she was going to wait until morning to open her presents.
[Image via WSB-TV screengrab]
