Lt. Steve McKee, right, presents a check to Jeremy Shields, center, and Erica Gardner, left, at Crest Middle School to help kids at Christmas.

The chances are good that you will be getting a phone call in the next few weeks asking you for a donation to the Cleveland County Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). Gwen Carothers hopes you respond generously to the call. As the president of FOP Lodge #18, she is proud of the work her group is doing.
"Every year we partner with Burns, Crest, Kings Mountain and Shelby High Schools to provide scholarships to qualified students," she says. "We also sponsor youth basketball and baseball at the Shelby City Park, and we usually help support the North Shelby School senior trip."
But that is just the beginning of the many ways the FOP is involved in the community.
"Helping kids at Christmas is probably the most popular program," says Carothers. "More than 500 Cleveland County students have benefited from this program." Children from Cleveland County are selected after a screening process to receive clothing, school supplies, food and a game or toy.
In times of emergency, such as when Hurricane Matthew hit the eastern part of the state in 2016, the FOP sends financial support to law enforcement families that are in need. And the local lodge is always ready to assist local officers and their families in times of emergency, Carothers says.
The FOP is a nonprofit organization consisting of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. According to the national FOP's website, the current U.S. Membership numbers more than 330,000 in 2,200+ lodges. The group works to improve working conditions and advocates for the safety of law enforcement officers through education, legislation, information, community involvement and employee representation.
Locally, the Cleveland County Lodge No. 18 was founded in 1975. The group meets once a month, except during the summer. The current fundraising campaign began at the beginning of the year and will run for a total of eight weeks.
"We know there are lots of folks calling and asking for money, so we want the citizens of Cleveland County to know that this is a legitimate call and that we really do need their support," said Carothers.
If you are not contacted via phone, you can still contribute to the FOP by sending your donation to: Cleveland County Fraternal Order of Police, P.O. Box 2027, Shelby, NC 28150.
For any questions about the fundraiser or the Cleveland County FOP, contact Carothers by calling 704-482-2050.

By April Hoyle Shauf

Special to Shelby Shopper & Info