Collaboration Puts Student Advocacy in Action
Representative Xairhos and Sheriff Ogden load up the Sheriff’s vehicle with Coats4Vets buckets.
Dukes County Sheriff Robert Ogden would like to commend the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s Senior Civics Class for their spirit of active advocacy, putting in motion a chain of events that led to a donation of warm winter coats and more for Island veterans. When JoEllen Meuse’s 12th grade Civics Class received a visit from MA State Representative Steven Xairhos this week, students heard about the Coats for Vets Program through the Military Support Foundation, and advocated for the needs of Island Veterans. Oak Bluffs Police School Resource Officer Sedlier-Clarke, Representative Xairhos and Mrs. Meuse reached out to Dukes County Sheriff’s Office’s Community Outreach Program for assistance. Within 48 hours, Sheriff Ogden was at Otis Airbase at Joint Base Cape Cod with Representative Xairhos, loading up a DCSO vehicle with over 30 buckets of warm winter coats and more for Island Veterans in need. The donations came in the form of large buckets, each filled with a new winter coat, masks, hand sanitizer and food items for underserved veterans, supplied by Coats4Vets, a program of the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation, with support from Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation and Home Depot. In collaboration with Bob Tankard of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services’ Veteran’s Outreach Program, these donations will go to local veterans this Holiday season.
MVRHS 12th Grade Civics Class and School Resource Officer Sedlier-Clarke with Representative Xairhos.
“Without our students asking the important questions and advocating for our Island Veterans, we would have literally missed the boat on coats this season, as it was a limited supply on hand when I arrived. I am so proud of the coordinated effort between students, local services, State and local government, and my Sheriff’s Office to once again provide this necessary Christmas gift to our deserving Island Vets.” , says Sheriff Ogden.
Thank you to the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation, the Patriots Foundation, Home Depot., Representative Xairhos, Oak Bluffs Police, Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, JoEllen Meuse, the 12th Grade MVRHS Civics Class and, most importantly, to our local veterans.
In addition to ongoing community collaborations, current Dukes County Sheriff’s Office Community Outreach initiatives include the We Have Your Number program, Project Lifesaver, Law Enforcement Against Drugs programming, the DARE Ropes Challenge Course, monthly meal delivery and distribution support for the Serving Hands program, and more. To learn more about DCSO’s Community Outreach Programming, visit www.dukescountysheriff.com.