By Nick Buglione
It¹s enough to make even the kindest person¹s blood turn cold after a few years. That¹s why the Nassau County Sheriff Officers Association, the union that represents the correction officers, has made it a point to embark on a number of charitable pursuits each year.
Formed after the correction officers broke away from the Civil Service Employees Association in 1999, the Sheriff Officers Association is slowly building a record of community involvement and volunteerism. ³You get so used to seeing the bad that sometimes you get a little hard toward people¹s needs,² said John Duer, union president. ³You do get calloused. I think this breaks that down a bit.²
The union is also trying to restore its image, still tattered after guards beat a prisoner to death in 1999. ³They¹re human beings back there,² Duer said.
To prove that point, the union has been aggressively sponsoring Little League baseball, football and soccer teams, and volunteering at the annual Special Olympics. They also offer a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior from East Meadow High School, which is just across the street from the jail on Carman Avenue.
Every Christmas, about 20 officers head down to the headquarters of the Association for the Help of Retarded Children Nassau in Brookville and throw a party. ³We have someone dress up as Santa and we give them a pizza party with juice and soda,² said Kevin Imm, who has worked at the county jail for 19 years and is chairman of the union¹s board of directors. ³Every child gets an individually wrapped gift with their name on it.²
As chairman of the board, it¹s largely up to Imm to decide what charitable acts the union will undertake, and he takes pride in that responsibility. ³I just enjoy helping out the kids, putting a smile on the kids¹ faces,² he said.
Putting a smile on a sick child¹s face is especially rewarding, Duer said. The union has played an integral role in collecting toys for state Sen. Charles Fuschillo¹s annual Extend the Holidays toy drive. In a program begun seven years ago, toys are delivered to sick children at Winthrop-University Hospital after the holiday season so that they can enjoy a little extra cheer, and get their minds off being in a hospital.
³It has become a holiday tradition that generates a lot of excitement for the staff, children and their parents,² said John Broder, Winthrop¹s vice president of external affairs. ³It helps extend the enchantment of the holiday season throughout the year for our very sick kids. And, if the excitement of receiving an unexpected gift during the year helps put a smile on the face of a sick child, what more can we ask?²
Perhaps the union¹s most appreciated and heart-warming charitable effort comes in the summer, when about 30 officers throw a barbecue for children living in the Little Flower Children¹s Services orphanage in Wading River. Approximately 95 children, ranging in age from 7 to 15, live in the facility, and are there for various reasons. ³They¹re here because traditional foster care wouldn¹t provide the level of care they need,² said Alyson Gladle, a spokeswoman for the organization.
Most of the kids have had a rough life. ³It¹s to the point where we can¹t take pictures of the children because a lot of them are under protection, so you don¹t want their picture popping up in the paper,² Imm said.
One day each year, the correction officers help these kids forget their rough past with an afternoon of food and fun. The kids have a blast and look forward to the barbecue every year, according to Earl Goodman, administrative supervisor of residential services at Little Flower. ³It¹s one of the biggest events of the year,² Goodman said. ³It¹s a very positive experience, and it¹s good for the kids to see [people care].²
Imm wants to work on getting more correction officers to participate in the barbecue at Little Flower, as well as some of the union¹s other events. ³The guys that do come up and volunteer their time get a lot of gratification from that,² he said.
Comments about this story? NBuglione@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
