The Yadkinville First Baptist Church social hall filled with excited conversation and mouth-watering smells last Thursday for the annual Cops Care Christmas Luncheon. Enrolled members of the Cops Care Program and their guests were served a lunch of barbeque, lasagna, slaw, macaroni salad, green beans and tossed salad. The meal was topped off with cookies and pumpkin pie for desert.

“This program is very important to the town,” said Yadkinville Mayor Hubert Gregory said.......

After appetites were satisfied, guests settled in to enjoy entertainment provided by an extremely trim Santa Claus and the Young at Heart Chorus from the East Bend Senior Center.

The chorus performed a selection of secular and sacred Christmas music, while Santa mingled with the audience before convincing Yadkin County Police Chief Tim Parks to sit on his lap.

Members of the Yadkinville Downtown Business Association (DBA) presented each enrolled member a gift bag.

This event was sponsored by the DBA and area businesses. Yadkinville law enforcement officers and members of the DBA acted as wait-staff.

“It is very important for the officers to interact and get to know the people who participate in the program,” said Parks. “They are comfortable with officers they recognize and who call them by name.”

A Taste of Italy restaurant donated the lasagna, tossed salad and bread. Prime Sirloin donated 40 pounds of pork, macaroni salad, rolls and cookies. Little Richards Barbeque restaurant donated barbeque and hushpuppies. Bojangles donated the iced tea.

CMS Insurance, H&R Block and Dr. Jong Byun sponsored the luncheon through monetary donations.

The Cops Care Program, initiated by the Yadkinville Police Department, provides an opportunity for any Yadkinville residen 65 years or older to enroll free of charge. The purpose of the program is to check on older residents who may not have family close. In adverse weather especially, officers will knock on doors to ensure the health and well being of Yadkinville’s senior citizens.

The program is designed to provide added protection and security measures for the senior citizens of Yadkinville. Seniors who are part of the program have emergency information on file with the Yadkinville Police Department, which will assist officers and medical personnel in the event of an emergency. Officers will know how to reach family members if necessary and will have information that will allow them to access seniors that are incapacitated inside their homes. Officers will occasionally drop by to check on seniors who live alone and family members can contact the police department if they are concerned about not being able to reach their loved ones.