Being in public service is something that at a young age I was very curious about as to what all they could do. What I mean by that is, how broad could the efforts of first responders be in giving back to their respective communities. When tragedy strikes, we see those very brave men and women, volunteer groups, and other citizens coming from all over the world to help those they do not know and have never met. Long before my time in public service there was a nonprofit group started that was focused on giving back to the community through engagements and other efforts to increase the quality of life through outreach opportunities. I have been fortunate to be a part of that same organization, the Jasper Police Association (JPA), which is a 501(c)(3).
Nonprofit organizations are essential in providing goods and services to the under-resourced in the community (Love, 2018). There is always a need of some kind, you just must go out and find it as it may not be clear or apparent. Knowing where to look can often come with highs and lows, but at the end of the day it is simply about giving back to the community without bias. Annually the Jasper Police Association operates a Christmas toy drive called “Toys for Tots” with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Collectively we wanted to do more and sought other avenues to try and accomplish that goal. The Christmas toy drive for disadvantaged kids is a huge success each year as donors from hundreds to thousands of miles away call and send us donations to propel the program. We could not do the good work that God has allowed us to do without the help of generous people throughout this great nation. Fundraising is an essential for the survival of the society when there is a low support from the government (Maqbool et al., 2019). These funds do not touch the pockets of any members of this association and are strictly regulated by the board of directors.
Expanding our outreach was obviously the easy part since social media is so powerful. Creating pages and other fundraising opportunities really allowed us the opportunity to interact with those people not from our area. Nonprofit organizations have invested in the development of content for their Facebook pages, believing be an efficient and effective means to publicize its mission and raising resources, whether monetary or human (Laureano et al., 2018). National Night Out is another gathering that was eliminated due to COVID-19 where we can bring in every agency to one location. There is free food and games for kids and the chance to meet our local first responders and form lasting relationships that go beyond any legal encounters that may have happened in the past.
Whether it is floods on the east coast, hurricanes in the Gulf or some other natural disaster. Jasper Police Association stands ready to fill the gap for those in need of the basic items to maintain human life. Our local partners such as Lowes, Walmart, Brookshire Brothers, Aaron’s, DuGood Federal Credit Union, Little Caesar’s, MVPs, and Elijah’s Café go above and beyond to help us fulfil those generous efforts that impact others. I encourage those in the nonprofit industry to take the next step in building those relationship with others with a focus on helping those beyond your reach. Nothing can be accomplished alone as we all need someone to lend a helping hand at some point in life. We strive to make the most of the moments allotted to us to impact the lives of someone in need. It is simply rooted in being kind, no rocket science, formulas, or fancy schematics can accomplish this. As it starts in the heart and translate to outward actions that move without seeking recognition or praise.
References:
Laureano, R. M., Fernandes, A. L., Hassamo, S., & Alturas, B. (2018). Facebook satisfaction and its impacts on fundraising: a case study at a Portuguese non-profit organization. Journal of Information Systems Engineering and Management, 3(1), 04.
Love, K. C. (2018). “Nonprofit Fundraising Strategies to Provide Quality Sustainable Services”. Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 4869.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/4869
Maqbool, N., Razzaq, S., Ul Hameed, W., Atif Nawaz, M., & Ali Niaz, S. (2019). Advance Fundraising Techniques: An Evidence from Non-Profit Organizations. Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 7(1), 147-157.
Joshua Hadnot 
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