Shop with a Cop | Highlands NC

Issue: 2020/11 - November

Sheriff Robbie Holland and his wife, Marcie, started Shop With A Cop many years ago after he had arrested a mother of three young girls before Christmas. The Hollands bought gifts, wrapped them and put them on the young girls’ front porch late Christmas eve. Upon returning home there was a newscast about the program Shop With A Cop on television – it was at this time Sheriff Robbie and Marcie decided to start SWAC for Macon County children in the Franklin area. 

A few years later when Bill Harrell became the Police Chief of Highlands, he and the Sheriff decided to include Highlands and Otto in the
SWAC program.

SWAC provides Christmas for children who would have little or no Christmas. Each child participating receives a $100 gift card to spend at Walmart in Franklin. The children are to buy something for themselves and something for someone else – the remaining money may be spent as the child pleases after that.

During one SWAC event, a child ran to the Linens Department to get a pillowcase because she never had one. Another time a child insisted on spending the money on a microwave so his Mother could make a hot meal for him and his siblings.

Each child was to be escorted by a policeman on the shopping event. This helps the children know the police are not bad people – some of the children have one of their parents in prison. The personnel who help the children shop has grown in the past several years to include branches of the military, the forestry service, police staff, teachers and more.

This year the parents and children will meet the officer or others who help them shop at Walmart at various times, instead of a large group going all at once. The number of children participating has risen over the years. Approximately 400 children were a part of SWAC in 2019. This year, because of Covid and unemployment, the need will be greater.

In the past, the children were asked not to purchase necessities for the home. However, in determining this need was great among the children who were shopping, a few years ago the children could purchase such items.

The ladies of Mountain Garden Club will be helping to acquire donations for SWAC as they have done for the last four years.

Please consider a donation to help these children who would have little or no Christmas. You may give your donation to a Mountain Garden Club member, mail the check to Caroline Cook at P. O. Box 2785, Highlands, NC 28741, or drop the check by the Highlands Police Department. Make your check out to Shop With A Cop or SWAC. This donation is tax deductible.

Thank you for making this Christmas a little brighter for the children of Macon County.