West Jordan city employees bringing true gift to children

By Bob Bedore | [email protected]

As we finish unwrapping the gifts brought to us through the Christmas season, it’s important to take a moment to remember those who might now have such a merry time of things. 

Thanks to the efforts of the West Jordan City Employees Association, many of the homeless and unfortunate children of West Jordan will find some much needed items in festive paper waiting for them. This year they have set their site on the Title 1 elementary schools within the Jordan School District to hand out coats and boots. 

“We as an Association like to help out these kids,” Association President Tom McOmie said. “And that’s especially true at this time of year. It’s something we’ve been doing for the last 10 years.”

McOmie mentioned the City Employee Association asked the schools in the area for 10 needy children that could use a new coat and some boots. The schools came back and asked whether they could do more than 10. 

“I told them, if there is a kid that needs something from us, give me their information, and we’ll take care of it,” he said.

In the past, they’d have roughly 140 items to get for the children, but this year the number was close to 340. More than 100 employees in the association purchased the items for the children and gathered them into a warehouse for a large wrapping party. 

“When you go into some of these schools and see the conditions of the coats and boots of these kids, it breaks your heart,” said City Employee Association Vice President Jared Smith. “As an employees association this year, we wanted to make sure that every child had a warm coat or boots to wear this winter. City employees are tied to the community, and providing service like this is the reason we all come to work here, to continue to make this the best city in the state to live in.”

The employees worked a long time to get the gifts ready to present to the children. But there was an obvious feeling of internal warmth within each of them as they knew the warmth and cheer they were bringing to the kids.

“It feels good to be able to help out some kids who might find it hard to stay warm this winter,” McOmie said, thinking about the faces of the children opening up the gifts. “So many of us will go about our business this winter not ever thinking about the fact that others out there are in a difficult situation, maybe struggling to stay warm. I like to know that we are helping these kids out, and this may be the only gift some of these kids will get this holiday season.”

Each year, it’s a big effort, and the need will likely be needed next year. You can help out by reaching out to the West Jordan City Employee Association and ask how you can lend a hand to next year’s donation drive. 

McOmie wrapped it up by saying, “Words can’t express the appreciation I have for the employees who helped, especially knowing some of our employees are going through a hard time themselves but still stepped up to help.”