Little Doves Preschool staff thank Monroe Police for service

When a person chooses to become a law enforcement officer, they have to accept the fact that people aren't always going to be happy to see them.

But when five Monroe police officers walked into Peace Church Monroe on Saturday afternoon, Little Doves Preschool staff and teachers couldn't have been more delighted. The fact that one of those officers was K-9 Nuke boosted their delight even more. The officers stopped by to be honored as a part of the church's "Project Thank You,GÇ¥ a large-scale effort to honor and support all Monroe Police Department employees by giving them Christmas gifts.

The project was a collaborative effort among Little Doves parents, students and staff, along with members of the Peace Church congregation.

Little Doves gathered the names of all Monroe Police Department staff, and posted them inside the church. Families and church members were able to select who they wanted to provide a gift for, and were encouraged to make it a family project. All members of the Monroe Police Department were listed, including the chief, administrative staff, officers and K-9.

"The police dogs' gifts came in right away,GÇ¥ said Little Doves pre-kindergarten teacher Jan Cleveland.

Sgt. Rick Dunn stopped by the church to collect his gift, along with officers Darryl Stamey, Craig Robertson, Jason Southard and Nuke. Community Service Officer LaDonna Whalen stopped by earlier in the day. The rest of the gifts will be delivered to the department by Little Doves staff.

Cleveland was especially happy to see Nuke, as she had purchased his Christmas gift herself. Southard presented her with an exclusive Monroe Police Department K-9 T-shirt, and gave some insight about what it's like to work with Nuke. Officers also passed out K-9 stickers and Nuke's trading cards.

Little Doves director Linda Herman said her inspiration for Project Thank You came from several different sources. First off, she was influenced by her experiences at the Monroe Police Department Citizen's Academy, after attending the 11-week series a few years back. The citizen's academy is an annual series hosted by the department that gives people the opportunity to receive an inside look at what being a police officer is actually like.-á

Community members commit to attending the academy one night a week for the entire series, plus two Saturday sessions. The series includes demonstrations by K-9 and the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, and each academy attendee gets the opportunity to go on a ride-along with an officer.

"That really showed me what they do,GÇ¥ Herman said.-á

And after her son became a police officer with the Seattle Police Department, her appreciation of law enforcement became a little more personal.

The other aspect of the project had to do with teaching the kids about advocacy and community outreach. Herman, the director of Little Doves since 1993, is also a teacher. As an educator, she said the project spoke to her as a great way to teach the kids the importance of kindness and giving back to the community.-á

"I thought it was really important that the kids show appreciation to our community and our policemen, because it's not an easy job,GÇ¥ Herman said. "We're a Christian preschool, and we always like to just make sure that the kids understand about being kind and loving others.GÇ¥

In order to help fund her efforts, Herman reached out to Thrivent Insurance, which awards small grants that can be dedicated to community projects, and received $250 to support Project Thank You.

After mingling for a while, the officers helped Peace Lutheran congregation members finish clearing up after a holiday bazaar held at the church earlier that day. The holiday shopping event shut down shortly after two, and officers helped church members haul benches to make room for new seating. Little Doves staff members were happy that the officers were able to accommodate the visit in between calls.-á -á

"We are all so excited to be doing this in the spirit of the holidays and as a way to thank our local police for all they do for our community,GÇ¥ Cleveland said.-á

For more information about Little Doves, visit www.littledovespreschool.com.