Garner police officers have 93 ‘crisis-ready backpacks’ on hand to help people in crisis. These backpacks are full of essential items, including blankets, lotion, deodorant, gloves, towels and even a $25 Walmart gift card.
“People don't call the police because they're having a good day,” said Capt. Michael Medlin. “A lot of times, they call the police because they're having a really bad day. It could be the lowest point in their life for some people. When we get these calls, you know, we're sometimes limited on things that we can do.”
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The idea started with a local couple: Lee and Donna Watkins one August Sunday morning.
“[Donna Watkins] told me on the way to church that morning that the Lord was leading her to do something different, to take her into a [new] direction,” Lee Watkins told WRAL News.
Once they made it into the church service at Hope Community Church in Garner, they watched a video that immediately touched Donna. The couple said the video detailed an evening when a fellow church member, an Apex officer, received a call about a woman in distress.
“He went to talk to her, he found out that she had just been released from the hospital,” Donna Watkins recalled. “She was literally just walking down the street with just a couple garbage bags of all of her belongings, and he and another officer decided to pool their resources, and they went to Walmart and bought a bunch of stuff for her, and they gave it to her, and she was just so thankful and overwhelmed.”
That video inspired Donna Watkins to create crisis-ready backpacks for the Garner Police Department. She and her husband rallied the community to donate essentials and money to their cause. They now call themselves ‘Hope For the Moment.’
“People who don't have anything, it's so important for them to not lose their dignity,” Donna Watkins said. “I want them to know that they're important and that they're cared for and that they're loved, and even if it's just being able to take a shower and just look good.”
The Watkinses say they hope to be able to expand and to partner with hotels to offer temporary stays for people in need. They also hope to create a reserve full of bags in case the department needs more. To help in their efforts, visit: https://www.hopeforthemoment.org/donate
“There's still good people in this world, and it's not very hard to be one of them,” Medlin said.