On Sunday, the Lodi Police Department helped spread holiday cheer by handing out 100 turkeys and Christmas trees to the community.
“The tree wasn't a priority. I lost a handful of family members the last two and half months, so I've been really into that vs. Christmas," said Raquel Humphrey.
Humphrey tells ABC10 that if it wasn’t for the generosity of Lodi police officers, she wouldn’t have had a tree to put up this year.
“It's a great thing for us. It's something we needed. For years, we've always helped our community for Christmas and Thanksgiving with donations, and now this year, it's just our turn to get a little help,” Humphrey adds.
It's stories the Humphrey’s that inspire Captain David Griffin and his colleagues to keep their annual tradition alive.
"It puts a human face on the police department. They see us as just regular people trying to help the community out, so it's nice that we're able to come in here, and give back to the community,” Griffin says.
Shelly M. Kolb saw the ‘Free Christmas Trees’ sign and stopped to get one to surprise her daughter.
“I could make my daughter happy with it, and that’s majorly important,” said Kolb.