State police continue holiday CARE Bears project

Illinois State Police personnel became CARE Bears this week as a holiday season tradition continued.

Tuesday morning, Dec. 15, Illinois State Police District 22 personnel planned to don their Santa hats and joined together to load squad cars with food and gifts like elves loading Santa’s sleigh.  

They planned to spend the day distributing the food and gifts to families in need for CARE (Children are Remembered Everywhere) Bears, Illinois State Police District 22 safety education officer Bridget R. Rice said.

Based in Illinois State Police District 22, which has its headquarters at Ullin, CARE Bears is a charitable organization that has been in existence for 13 years. (Union County is in District 22.)

Recipients are chosen through contact with area schools by CARE Bears organizers.  

"Organizers ask for referrals of children who have slipped through the cracks and are not being helped by any other organization," Rice said.

Applications are screened and families are chosen based upon criteria determined by the organizers of the program.  

Families who are chosen are then contacted prior to the food certificate and gift distribution.  

Parents or guardians are asked to fill out a wish list for each child if they desire to participate in the program.  

Volunteers then shop for the items on the list and wrap the gifts.  

Shoppers and wrappers consist of volunteers from area church groups, district personnel and families, and area first responders.  

Every child in the family receives gifts, and the entire family receives a gift certificate for food.  

Items that have been bought and distributed in the past include bed sheets, blankets, Christmas trees, and toiletries.  

Some requests from children have been 12-packs of soda. “The children have nothing, so to them, a twelve-pack of soda would be an extravagant request,” said Rhonda Baker, a CARE Bear organizer who has spearheaded the charity’s efforts since its inception. 

The screening process has become stricter due to abusers of charitable organizations. 

The hardest part of the job, according to telecommunications supervisor Kenny Klein is locating the truly needy. 

That is why organizers meet throughout the year to screen and vote on the applications. CARE Bears does not accept self-referrals. 

One hundred percent of donations go directly to the children and their families.  There are no overhead or administrative costs, as the organization is strictly a volunteer force. 

CARE Bears organizers plan events throughout the year to raise money for the Christmas food and gifts. 

For example, on May 9, there was a golf scramble at the Gambit Country Club in Vienna.

Sept. 25-27, CARE Bears raised money by selling concessions at the annual Bar-B-Q on the River in Paducah, Kentucky. 

CARE Bears also raised money through a charity drive on Oct. 17, which was very well-attended. 

Donations to the tax-deductible charity are accepted throughout the year, and can be sent to:

Operation CARE Bear, c/o Illinois State Police District 22, 1154 Shawnee College Rd., Ullin, Ill. 62992