A handful of Longmont families will have a little extra money for necessities or the holidays this year thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor and some Longmont police officers.
The donor, while asking to remain unnamed, is well-known to Longmont Public Safety Deputy Chief Jeff Satur.
“I’ve known this donor for years, he’s a generous person who did the same thing last year,” Satur said of his 30-year friend who donated $1,000 to help families impacted by crime, traffic crashes or other events that have put them in contact with police officers. “He knows our police officers deal with a lot of tragedy. He knows our officers have had a tough year. He wants to help officers with their connections in the community and he always wants to help others find a way to help out.”
After Satur met with the donor, a Longmont resident and business owner, to accept the check, he put out the call to officers and victim advocates seeking families who need a boost right now. They responded immediately with touching and heartbreaking stories of community members going through rough times.
“Every person who sent me their story got $100 to help that family,” Satur said.
As of Tuesday, just days after the call went out $800 of the $1,000 donation has been given to families or organizations suggested by officers, he said.
The recipients as described by those who suggested them are:
- A mom and her two young children, who moved to a new city after her daughter was sexually abused by a family member. The victim advocate who suggested the family said the money would help the mother with basic needs.
- A woman who was recently hit by a drunk driver and after a $35,000 surgery for her injuries is unable to work. Prior to the crash, she was working two jobs to stay afloat but she now has no income, a victim advocate stated in an email to Satur. “She currently needs help with paying for groceries and other basic needs. Any help would be much appreciated,” the victim advocate stated.
- A mother who was assaulted by her alcoholic boyfriend, and her four children ranging from infant to teenager. The boyfriend, the father of four of the children, is the sole provider for the family and the mother’s support system is out of state. Compounding their situation is the mother losing five family members to COVID-19. “I feel this generous donation would assist in a huge way for her and her family,” a police officer wrote in her email to Satur.
- A family with four children ranging from elementary school to high school age coping with the aftermath of a crash caused by a drunk driver. The crash left the stepfather unable to work for a month and left the mother a quadriplegic. “All money, resources and supports have gone to care for mom and changes to the home to ensure she is safely transferred back to home,” an officer wrote to Satur. “The family will not have money for Christmas presents this year.”
- A single mother and her four children who were recently placed in housing. The mother, who is enrolled in school to earn her GED diploma, lost her job soon after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The family has been “living by means of food banks and donations,” an officer stated in his email to Satur. “Before this, they had been living in a hotel, and the kids have not had a Christmas in two years.”
- A single mother badly beaten by her boyfriend whose injuries include a broken arm that left her unable to work. “She was not making a whole lot of money in the first place, so not being able to work is even more devastating,” an officer wrote to Satur. The woman has no idea when she will be able to return to work, and the money will help “ensure Christmas will be good for her daughter,” the officer wrote.
- A family an officer met during a disturbance at an apartment complex. The mother is unemployed and at least one of her three teenage children is struggling with life and in school and is possibly experiencing mental health issues. “Mom is struggling to find the right resources to help her (child),” an officer stated in his email to Satur. “The money would benefit the family for Christmas.”
Also receiving a donation is the Longmont campus of Shiloh House, a nonprofit organization that provides residential and educational services, day treatment and outpatient therapy programs, and community outreach services for youth impacted by trauma and their families.
“I wonder if we can do a little something for the kids at the Shiloh house, some snacks they like but can’t get, some board games, some outdoor balls or toys, a little something like that,” an officer wrote to Satur, adding that residents of Shiloh House are kids away from their families for the holidays.
Satur said the stories shared by his officers and advocates left him feeling for them “because they deal with so many tragedies.”
He also said he knows there are many others facing difficult situations and he urged community members to consider giving to organizations that help people with emergency or basic needs, particularly today since it’s Colorado Gives Day. The philanthropic effort is a statewide opportunity to give to nonprofit organizations and have those donations matched by a $1 million incentive fund.
To find local nonprofits participating in Colorado Gives Day, click here and search Longmont.
For those who would like to help victims of crime, car crashes and domestic violence, victim advocates and the Longmont Ending Violence Initiative are always in need of gift cards for those they serve. To donate a gift, card contact Longmont Public Safety Communications and Marketing Manager Robin Ericson at [email protected] or 303-651-8424.
“It doesn’t take much to help somebody. … There are some really good organizations around and some really good people like the anonymous donor who really want to help,” Satur said.
