For some children it takes much longer to get into a good foster home than expected. This was the case for an eight-year-old boy being referred to simply as “Jodi”. For a number of weeks, the boy has been waiting patiently with little to do at the offices for the Gulf Coast Jewish Family & Community Services hoping that soon his day would come to be placed but to no avail.

After deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s office heard of Jodi’s situation, they took quick action. The heartstrings of deputies assigned to the midnight shift were tugged on and instead of allowing such a young boy to sit and wait, roughly a dozen of the officers became foster parents to Jodi.

It started out as a few deputies discussing the boy’s plight but quickly, the story grabbed the attention of the rest of the midnight crew. At that point, everyone began donating money. After finishing a long shift, all of the deputies headed off to shop. According to Sgt. Jennifer Harris, none of the deputies even went home. Instead, they headed to the store as a collective group.

Upon arrival at the center, Jodi was surprised. The deputies presented him with a television, computer, video games, and an array of other fun things for him to enjoy while waiting for the right foster home. In addition, the deputies stuck around to play with Jodi and to learn more about him.

As deputy Brian Kesler stated, there is currently a lot of negativity and unrest when it comes to law enforcement in light of recent shootings so to do something good for a young boy in need but to also show the public that deputies and police officers really do care has a tremendous impact on the outlook.

Unfortunately, Jodi is just one of about 400 children with special needs in Polk County who are still on the waiting list for a foster home. However, considering everything the deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s office did, his wait will be easier. According to case workers, everyone at the sheriff’s office should be applauded but especially the deputies who gave so generously.

The case workers added that one simple act of kindness goes a long way in giving a child hope and letting that child know that people really do care.