SANFORD, Fla. – It’s a compassionate example of how Sanford Police Department’s “Compassion Cards” — debit cards that patrol supervisors carry to pay for necessities when people are in need — are getting results.
News 6 first reported on the cards in 2022.
Now, we’re seeing the need and how the compassion cards turned a Sanford mom’s life around.
Officers told News 6 about the story of Leimy, a Honduran native who was in a difficult domestic situation. She could not safely leave her home with her baby and young son.
Officer Alida Llanos and other Sanford police officers responded to escort Leimy out of the home. They discovered Leimy was not being allowed to leave the house with anything but her children.
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So Llanos first reached into her own pocket to buy clothing for Leimy’s baby, and then a supervisor stepped up with a Compassion Card to pay for other necessities.
Target even donated a car seat for Leimy’s baby.
“Now, I’m doing well,” Leimy told News 6 in Spanish. “I didn’t have anything for the baby, and the Sanford police helped with the car seat and the other stuff that I needed for the baby.”
Each year, the Sanford Police Department gets $40,000 from the city for community outreach — that’s where the Compassion Card cash comes from.
Because of it, today, Leimy has a job, she has her children, she has a new home, and she is safe.
“I couldn’t have done it by myself, I couldn’t have done it without the assistance of the Sanford Police Department,” Leimy said.
As a mother herself, Officer Llanos said Leimy’s situation touched her.
“I know that with (the compassion cards), she was able to move forward like she just did,” Llanos said. “Now, she has a job, she’s in a safe place, and she’s able to move forward.”
Llanos said the assistance changed Leimy’s life for the better.
“I know that,” Llanos said. “She has told me that before, and she’s really grateful for our assistance.”
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