The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer (SRO) Division is partnering with Mission Children’s Hospital to provide Christmas presents to patients.
The goal is to acquire unwrapped toys or items for newborns to teenagers to take home in early December or to pass the time while undergoing medical treatments at Mission Children’s Hospital.
Deputies will collect gifts at the Hendersonville Road Walmart (1636 Hendersonville Road in Asheville) on November 20 from 4 to 10 p.m. and on November 21 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. They are not asking for clothing or food-based items that could expire.
“We are overjoyed to announce our partnership with Mission Children’s Hospital to provide patients with unwrapped presents and items for kids and their families to utilize while receiving their treatments,” says Buncombe County Sheriff’s Deputy Jared Porshia.
As part of this effort, the Sheriff’s Office applied for and received a grant in the amount of $1,600 from Walmart. That funding will be used to purchase toys that will be delivered to Mission Children’s Hospital by Sheriff’s Office Deputies on December 7. Any toys and gifts collected beyond what Mission needs will be distributed to students at Buncombe County Schools.
“This is an excellent example of our efforts to continue to build relationships with all of the citizens we serve in Buncombe County,” says Chief Deputy Herbert Blake.
The Sheriff’s Office is also collecting items from Buncombe County Employees with donation boxes placed at various county buildings until December 4:
- Sheriff’s Office, 4th Floor of the Buncombe County Courthouse (60 Court Plaza, Asheville)
- Leicester Crossing, Sheriff’s Office (339 New Leicester Highway, Asheville)
- Buncombe County Administration, 1st Floor (200 College Street, Asheville)
- Family Justice Center (35 Woodfin Street, Asheville)
The Sheriff’s Office will be adhering to COVID-19 precautions during both the Walmart gift collection drive and the gift delivery to Mission Hospital.