A detective’s warm response to a teenage girl’s need for a winter coat generously snowballed in the weeks before Christmas.
West Goshen Township Det. David Maurer learned from workers at the Crime Victims’ Center (CVC) of Chester County that a number of police departments that annually donate money to the agency around the holidays had redirected their contributions this year.
The reason stemmed from the horrific beating death of a 3-year-old West Caln boy in November, allegedly at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend. The case, which generated horror and outrage, especially in the law-enforcement community, led to the establishment of a trust fund to assist the victim’s 6-year-old brother, also believed to have been abused.
The reallocation of funds left CVC struggling to come up with money to purchase gifts for all of the children whose lives had been upended by crime in 2014. Maurer said he learned from the CVC’s Ashley Coyle that a 14-year-old girl only wanted a coat – “one like she used to have” before violence shattered her life.
The poignancy of the request – and the fact that it differed dramatically from the typical electronics on peers’ wish lists – prompted him to offer to cover the cost, he said. Then he asked Coyle if it was OK to post something on Facebook in case others wanted to help some of the other children.
“My goal when I posted was to raise $500,” he said. Within minutes, friends and family pledged hundreds. The next morning, West Goshen Police Chief Joseph Gleason and Maurer’s co-workers added contributions. They were followed by township employees and area businesses, Maurer said.
A&R Towing in Coatesville gave Maurer a check and suggested that he ask other companies to match it, setting up a donation war. Abel Brothers Towing bested the competition with a $1,000 check. Employees at Aqua Cap Pharmaceutical in Chadds Ford donated the bonus checks they had just received. Some people walked into the station with contributions; others sent them from as far away as Iowa and California, Maurer said.
“Some people actually apologized they couldn't give more,” Maurer said. “One cried as she handed me her check.
In the end, the department collected $7,000. Money that wasn’t used for gifts will be set aside to cover future food and lodging costs for children victimized by crime.
“CVC was able to help a bunch of kids affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, etc., and their families this holiday. It was unreal,” said Coyle, crediting Maurer’s Facebook post.
Maurer said most people fortunately don't know much about the Crime Victims’ Center, and he hopes they never need its many services, which include accompanying victims to court proceedings and providing counseling. “But working day in and day out, we see the good they do,” Maurer said.
He said it was gratifying to see the response and know that all the contributors had helped to make Christmas a little brighter for some kids in need. And although Maurer stressed that the initiative represented a group effort, he said someone left a gift at his house from Santa, referencing the donations.
“I don't know who did it, but it was very nice,” he said.
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