Youth
is Served
New “Caring for Kids” program part of
State Corrections Local 105 push to make
an impact in the community and beyond
n BY DAN CAMPANA
n PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANGIE LOMBARDI PHOTOGRAPHY
The girl, about four years old, sat scared and crying in the
corner of her classroom when the law enforcement officers arrived.
State Corrections Local 105 President Brian Renshaw vividly
recalls the incident out of the hundreds of young children he
and his members met during visits to schools in Perth Amboy
and Jersey City in October. His memory doesn’t dwell on how
things started, instead focusing on the beauty of what happened later.
Seeing that the girl was uncomfortable, Renshaw and her
teacher went to a table set off from the other children. There,
Renshaw colored with her, asked questions and tried to make
her laugh. Her guard and fears didn’t last forever.
“By the time it was all said and done and we left the classroom to go to the next one, she stood up and hugged me and
did not want me to leave,” Renshaw recalled. “That made me
feel good because that’s what it is all about.”
“It” is the Local 105 “Corrections Caring for Kids” program,
which Renshaw and his executive board brainstormed after he
took over as the organization’s president in June. The recently
launched initiative aims to provide supplies – such as coloring
books, crayons and reading books – to pre-K and kindergarten
students in New Jersey, while also putting corrections officers
face to face with youngsters at an age when they can begin to
develop non-threatening, long-lasting, successful relationships
with authority figures, including cops.
“There’s nobody more important in this community than our
youth. Our youth are our future, and a lot of them are afraid of
us,” Renshaw explained. “Our goal here is to reach out to children at a young age and help provide them with the physical
tools that are needed.”
Another objective of the program is to encourage and em-
Show you Care
Learn more about or volunteer for
“Corrections Caring for Kids”
Visit: www.njpba105.com/corrections-caringkids-new-jersey-pba-local-105
Or call 609-396-8688
power children, setting them on a path which helps them realize their potential. The investment in the future is also helping
shape a child’s view of law enforcement.
“We want to develop a trust with them with our officers at a
very young age so that they see we’re always here to help and
assist them when needed,” Renshaw explained.
State Delegate Raymond Heck said Renshaw hit a “home
run” with the concept because of the age level involved.
“Brian came up with a very unique concept; to make sure at
an early age they’re interacting not only with the local police,
the state police…but also with divisions like us to identify that
law enforcement are your friends,” he said.
In late October, Renshaw, members of the executive board
and other officers visited 14 classrooms and nearly 200 students in Perth Amboy. A week later, Local representatives and
officers hit four schools to meet approximately 800 students in
Jersey City. The group spent about 15-20 minutes in each class
playing, coloring and chatting with primarily 4- and 5-year-old
students. There were no big speeches, just cops sitting on the
floor interacting on the kids’ level and getting them into a comfort zone alongside officers.
Getting to that point isn’t always instantaneous.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 36
www.njcopsmagazine.com
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