On Saturday, a birthday party for five kids was held in Atascadero at the El Camino Homeless Shelter (ECHO).
The kids ate cake, opened gifts, and took turns blaring police sirens in the cop cars.
“We realize some of the kids in these situations don't necessarily have the opportunity to have a full-blown birthday party, so we buy gifts for the kids,” Scott Pipan, president of the Atascadero Police Foundation said.
The Atascadero Police Foundation was started to help bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community.
“We want to give them a good experience so they can see that cops are there for them, shake their hand, and give them a good experience,” Pipan said.
The foundation started the birthday parties for the kids at ECHO in January of this year and does them every two months.
“We give out a list for the kids in the shelter who are celebrating their birthdays over the next two months," said Jacques Fields from ECHO said. "They get adopted by the department and they get gifts specific to their favorite likes and age. Police get to come out and give it to them and celebrate a special day that they might not have otherwise had."
Fields says it’s a great opportunity to put smiles on their faces.
“Our goal is to provide stable housing but along the journey, there are some bumps so it's really special to bring them together to celebrate,” Fields said.
The Atascadero Police Foundation will continue this every two months.
