Grundy County Heroes & Helpers takes kids shopping Saturday morning

Walmart in Morris had so many firefighters, EMTs and police officers walking around that customers who didn’t know any better might’ve thought something was wrong.

Nothing was. In fact, these local heroes were with local children for the annual Grundy County Heroes & Helpers Shop with a Local Hero event, where local law enforcement and firefighters take kids from difficult backgrounds shopping to make their Christmas a little more merry.

Grundy County Heroes & Helpers President Wendy Briley said the organization helped 184 children this year, 169 of which got to go shopping. Children under the age of three stayed back at First Christian Church, where everyone gathered both before and afterward for lunch and a visit to toyland.

Coal City Fire Department Deputy Chief Nick Doerfler said this is this third year participating in the event, and it’s an incredible program that he’s proud to be part of.

“Just to see the kids faces and bring that joy with the help over everybody throughout the year, whether it’s donating or stepping up to help make this happen, the fact that we can do this for over 180 kids is incredible,” Doerfler said. “You know, as the years pass and it grows and grows, it’s great we have this program here. Six years ago, we didn’t have this and to be able to bring this during the holiday season is an awesome responsibility.”

Doerfler said it is great to get to spend time with the kids, and he is happy to provide them with a positive outlook of first responders.

“We can have fun, too,” Doerfler said. “We have that other side of us.”

Andrew Serena, a sergeant at the Grundy County Jail, said it’s an event he enjoys because he doesn’t get the chance to be out in the community much. Since he works in the jail, that’s where he spends most of his time. For him, it’s a way to help kids that come from a background similar to his.

“I grew up in the same situation as a lot of these kids,” Serena said. “That’s another reason why I do it. I’m hoping they get out of it anything they can.”

This was Serena’s second year volunteering for Shop with a Local Hero.

Sergeant Brett Black with the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office signed up for the first time this year because it’s a great opportunity to get to know kids in the community.

“This is my first year and I’m actually pretty new, and still learning,” Black said. “But it’s been awesome, and the kids are great. We get to help them out and it’s a great community-builder, just making sure they’re used to being around us. Everybody benefits form it, especially being around the holidays. It can be tough.”

First Christian Church, 455 W. Southmor Road, has been the home of Shop with a Local Hero for the past four years. Pastor Scott Zorn said the Grundy County Heroes & Helpers have been a great crew to work with.

“There’s so many volunteers,” Zorn said. “Our church had around 30 just from the church, and they had hundreds from the Heroes & Helpers, and there’s everybody behind the scenes. It takes hundreds to run this thing.”

Briley said Heroes & Helpers started in 2018 with a focus on Grundy County families that are enduring loss, trauma, poverty and other hardships. Shop with a Local Hero is its flagship event, but it fundraises year-round for the event. Briley said it couldn’t be done without the many sponsors and retailers that help, and Walmart has been particularly helpful.

“One of the managers personally bought a whole pallet, I think, a craft,” Briley said. “They’re wrapping them and every child that goes through the line gets a wrapped toy.”

Heroes included first responders from Morris, Braidwood, Braceville, Coal City, Channahon, Marseilles, and the Illinois State Police and places outside of Grundy County.

“We’re just blessed to be able to help so many children,” Briley said. “There are so many children and families who may be having a tough time for Christmas.”

Briley said it’s not just families having trouble with money. There are also families going through hardships like divorces, cancer diagnoses and losses in their family. It’s not just people who need monetary donations.

“Our goal is to bridge the gap between the younger generation and children with our law enforcement,” Briley said. “Because social media has a lot out there bashing first responders, and we want the kids to have a way to say ‘wow, these guys can be fun. If I have a problem, I can approach them. They’re good people.’ That’s why we started Heroes & Helpers in the first place.”

Briley’s husband is Grundy County Sheriff Ken Briley, and she said one of his goals when he was elected was to bridge the gap between the police and the community.

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Heroes and Helpers 2023 Officer Jacob Wessels with the Illinois Conservation Police helps Dylan size up a new t-shirt. (Michael Urbanec)