PPOA President
Lieutenant, LASD
sjohnson@ppoa.com
As a part of PPOA’s Tradition of Success, we proudly take care of our members in numerous, unique ways. One way we extend care to our members is through our Star & Shield Foundation. Established in 2001, it has proudly raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support charitable organizations and important causes, primarily focusing on the families of fallen officers. The emotional and financial obstacles family members confront in the face of a peace officer suddenly killed in the line of duty can be unfathomable.
It is an honor to serve as the chair of the Star & Shield Foundation’s Board of Directors. Our capacity and function as a board are effective only because of the contributions of its directors, who dedicate countless hours throughout the year toward its success. Additionally, our key sponsors are essential partners in the execution of all the roles we undertake. Not only does the Foundation provide immediate and short-term funds to the survivors of our fallen, but it also helps them during the demanding schedule of memorial ceremonies at the county, state and national levels.
As PPOA president and chair of this Foundation, I have had the privilege of personally escorting family members to these events, including the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in Washington, D.C. We assist the families with expenses such as travel and lodging, and quite literally, whatever they need to make the experience heartfelt, memorable and dignified.
In January, we were all impacted by the catastrophic Eaton and Pacific Palisades wildfires. There were many fatalities, and thousands of structures were totally lost due to the severity of the fires, which were exacerbated by high winds. In addition to our support of the families of our fallen personnel, the Star & Shield Foundation exists to aid members experiencing other hardships, such as natural disasters. Within hours of these wildfires commencing on January 7, PPOA received the unfortunate news that several of our members endured the complete loss of their homes. We were able to quickly contact these members to offer our condolences for their loss.
We acknowledged to each member our profound relief that they all evacuated safely. Through our Foundation, we provided immediate relief and support where needed. PPOA and the Star & Shield Foundation were beyond proud to support their initial road to recovery and will continue to offer assistance through a multitude of resources available to us. Additionally, through our Foundation, we were able to respond to staging and Command Post locations throughout the county, where we provided personnel hot beverages and hot meals during their grueling 12-hour shifts.
In short, the Star & Shield Foundation is a pivotal part of the larger PPOA family and an extension of the care and concern we all share. Please don’t hesitate to contribute to this incredible arm of support for our noble members at starandshieldfoundation.org/donate.
Until next time, be safe, look out for one another and we will see you very soon.
