What started as a Secret Santa Operation in December of 2021 has grown to a year-long project aimed at spreading a little kindness around the city of Oceanside. The Oceanside Police Department has launched a new Random Acts of Kindness Project. This initiative is made possible by a twenty-thousand-dollar donation from the Fortin family, who established an Acts of Kindness Fund within Trauma Intervention Programs Inc. “My family and I enthusiastically support the Oceanside Police Department Acts of Kindness Project. We can think of no better way for us to provide acts of kindness to Oceanside residents than by partnering with Oceanside police officers who are on the front lines and encounter those who need kindness and a helping hand on a regular basis,” Wayne Fortin, Founder of Trauma Intervention Programs Inc.
The Oceanside Police Department plans to spread the donation out in random acts of kindness throughout the year in hopes to help those that may need it most. “The more opportunities that we have to engage with people outside of crisis situations I think deepen relationships and deepen understanding,” Chief Fred Armijo. The project will provide officers a resource to turn to when they encounter someone that may need a little kindness or a helping hand. In February officers reached out to recent victims of theft, helping several families replace stolen items that they did not have the means to replace.
With costs of gas skyrocketing, officers surprised drivers at gas stations in March to help with the cost of fuel. Each month a different giving effort will focus on making connections between officers and the community. “It’s a cool experience to get out in the community and make people smile and serve in a different way,” Oceanside police officer Andy Gularte.
For additional information about the Random Acts of Kindness Project, please contact Oceanside Police Department Public Information Officer Jennifer Atenza at (760) 277-5237 or email jatenza@oceansideca.org.
