Caring for our Community: Celebrating the Police
Valley Church
We have been sharing stories with you about how together we can make a difference in all kinds of ways during this time of global crisis. From making face shields, to volunteering with local organizations, to buying goodies for healthcare workers, your money and time is having a huge impact on other people!
One of the most vital services that have been needed more than ever is the local police force. During times of change and unrest, they are often called upon to find new strategies to help the rest of society cope with these changes. Through one of our Valley members who is part of the police force, we have been finding ways to support and cheer them on as they serve us all behind the scenes.
For those working as police officers, much of their usual duties have remained the same as they are vital to so many of our societal structures. They have had to find ways to keep themselves and others as safe as possible during this time, and that has meant that many officers whose roles are information based have been working from home. Those dealing with people in face to face encounters have had to balance the necessity of PPE and keeping two metres apart, with making difficult decisions in emergency situations.
Although the majority of people are supportive of the work of local law enforcements, there has been the increased pressure of enforcing lockdown rules to those who don’t want to adhere to them. This has caused an increase in assaults against officers, including attempts to spread COVID to them. And in the last few weeks, there has been a backlash towards police in many countries as a reaction to George Floyd’s murder in America.
Throughout all of this, they have kept to their commitment: "To keep people safe and feeling safe and when needed, we can be trusted to consistently deliver a competent and compassionate service 24/7."
With all this in mind, we wanted to give our local police a boost to their morale and so Pastor Michele arranged for a whole heap of goodies to be delivered to let them know how loved and appreciated they are. The feedback we received was that they were really touched that a local church was thinking about them and willing to reach out in support to them. When we asked how we could be praying for them, they said that peace was one of their priorities right now. They are seeing firsthand the divisions in society and are so often on the receiving end of people’s fear and anger. We can also be praying for their own safety (and for that of their families) as they seek to keep others safe, and that they would be agents of healing in places where people are hurting.
When asked how they felt about being in such a demanding role during this time...
“I think being a key worker at this time has made me feel very proud. Proud to work for the organisation I do and see that my job makes a real difference in people’s lives. It’s probably re-energised me to reaffirm that I want to always make a positive difference in people’s lives.”
Let’s keep cheering these guys on, and praying for them as they serve us around the clock no matter what challenges are being thrown at them. If you want to give to the People Matter fund, you can give online and get in touch with us if you have any more ideas on how we can bless and support our frontline workers.
