Police chief delivers birthday cake to first person who signed up
Chief Thompson hands out a birthday cake to Ms. Quinley
When Flomaton Police Chief Chance Thompson launched his 'How Are Ya!' program a few months ago, Sophronia Quinley was the first person to sign up. Last week Chief Thompson paid her a home visit to give Ms. Quinley a birthday cake to celebrate her 84th birthday.
Wearing gloves and a mask due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Thompson kept his social distance in presenting her with the cake.
Today, Chief Thompson has 15 senior citizens or handicapped individuals living in the Flomaton Police Department's jurisdiction.
Under the program, once a person signs up, Chief Thompson will call them once a week to make sure they are OK. He said there is no cost for seniors to join the program and that he personally makes the calls on random days during the week.
"It's targeted toward our senior citizens," Thompson said. "There are a lot of people who don't get to talk to anybody."
Participants must fill out an application to join the program that includes another contact person, should the participant not answer the telephone.
"I make the call personally and if there is something they need, I see if I can personally help," Thompson said. "If I call and don't get an answer, I will call the other person on the contact sheet."
He said if the other contact person cannot be reached he or one of his officers will go to the participant's home to make sure they are OK.
"It's a way to show our senior citizens in our community that we are here and care about them," Thompson said.
Thompson said he has mailed and delivered a letter to many senior citizens explaining the program, but if someone is interested they can call the police department at 251-296-5811 and ask for him. If he doesn't answer, leave a message and he will return the call. Applications are available at town hall but Chief Thompson said if someone needs one delivered to their house he will do that as well.
