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Police Department Launches Program To Help Officers Serving Overseas

By Michael Abeyta

PARKER, Colo. (CBS4) - Alexandra Gwaltney and her son had their hands full Wednesday morning helping to load up boxes into the back of a Parker police vehicle.

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The boxes are care packages put together by teachers, kids, and parents at Southeast Christian School.

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Gwaltney family (credit: Gwaltney family)

They're meant for Gwaltney's husband Marcus Gwaltney, who is a police officer, and his fellow soldiers of The 710th Security Forces Squadron.

Gwaltney is grateful. "We're blessed and we appreciate it so much."

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This is the kickoff to a new program the Parker Police Department created called "Serving Parker and Beyond."

It's designed to provide support to Parker police officers, who are also active members of the military when they are away from home.

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"Anytime we have a deployed officer from here on out, the police department's going to do everything they can with the community to support them, their families and their unit," said Ofc. Jeremy Harris of PPD.

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That includes officers picking up daily chores like shoveling snow, in addition to community groups putting together care packages to send to deployed officers and their units every month.

Harris is a veteran and he knows how important it is for military families to be embraced by the community.

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"It's a feeling that you're still a part of what's going on back home. You're still part of what you are fighting for," he said.

Gwaltney's husband, Marcus, is currently away from home serving, and any help she gets makes a huge difference.

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While the program is brand new, she has already seen how much the community's support has made a difference for her and her son.

"Letting him see all of the support for his dad and that his dad is coming home... We thank God all the time. We appreciate everything," she said.

Michael Abeyta is a 4th generation Coloradan and a Multimedia Journalist for CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 5 & 6. He is on Twitter! Follow him @AbeytaCBS4.

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