Our Story
Santa Cops was originally founded in 1986 by Officer Dave Volpe, of the Greeley Police Department. Dave believed in giving back to our community, especially during the holiday season. Dave’s legacy lives on through the program, which has grown tremendously over the years and now provides over 5,000 gifts to families in our community each year.
Who We Are
Santa Cops of Weld County is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization consisting of representatives from the Greeley Police Department, Evans Police Department, University of Northern Colorado Police Department, Weld County Probation Department, District 6 Schools, and the community at large. Santa Cops of Weld County is strictly a volunteer organization, and every donation is put directly towards the program to provide gifts for eligible children and to cover any operational expenses.
What We Do
Santa Cops of Weld County provides toys to children in need from low-income families during the holiday season. Our goal is to improve Police-Community relations and give to those throughout Greeley and Evans who are struggling financially and may not be able to provide their children with gifts.
Each family is personally referred to us by one of our referral agencies. Most of our referrals come from District 6 Schools administrative staff. We work closely with District 6 Schools to identify families with children that need assistance. We do not currently accept referrals from sources outside of our referral agencies.
Each holiday season, officers in Greeley and Evans personally deliver these presents to the children of the families that are referred to our program. Families must live in the boundaries of Greeley/Evans or attend District 6 Schools to be eligible.
How you can support our mission
Community support is vital to our organization and to fulfilling our mission. If you would like to help, there are a variety of ways you can contribute.
Toy Donations
You can donate new toys to the Greeley Police Department located at 2875 W. 10th Street. No used toys, please. Donations do not need to be wrapped. Our wonderful volunteers take care of that.
*We accept and appreciate donations for all ages, but we would greatly appreciate donations for kids ages 12-17. Since they can be difficult and more expensive to shop for, we don’t get as much support for that age group, but the need remains. *
Monetary Donations
Monetary donations can be made to Santa Cops of Weld County via Venmo or by check.
Volunteer
Our organization is strictly volunteer, with no paid employees. That means we rely heavily on people like you to help us fulfill our mission. Contact us to find out how you can help by donating your time.
Fundraising
Are you a business owner looking to help? Host a fundraiser! We are always looking for new fundraising opportunities and ideas. Contact us!
You can reach us by phone at (970)350-9622 or by email at [email protected]
Checks
Payable to Santa Cops of Weld County
2875 W 10th St Greeley, Co 80634 Attn: Santa Cops
Contact Us
Board Members
President, Teresa McClatchey
Teresa has been with the Evans Police Department for nearly 20 years. Her journey in the department took a significant turn in 2016 when she transitioned from Patrol into the Community Services Unit. In this capacity, she became involved with Santa Cops and quickly realized the crucial role it plays in our community. Teresa believes it’s more than just giving out gifts during the holidays. Santa Cops is connecting law enforcement to the people they serve, thereby helping to build trust and positive relationships.
Vice President, Rebecca Barnes
Rebecca Barnes is a Greeley Native and local business owner. She has a passion for family, children and her community. Rebecca has been involved with Santa Cops for many years, but officially joined the Board in 2022.
Treasurer, Bev Morita
Bev has been involved with Santa Cops for almost two decades. Bev holds the vital role of Treasurer. She is always up to date with our bookkeeping and loves to donate her time to Santa Cops. She is retired from the 19th Judicial District.
Secretary, Courtney Salzer
Courtney Salzer is our Special Operations Community Service Officer here at the Greeley Police Department. She oversees the day-to-day operations of Santa Cops and other community outreach programs and events for the Neighborhood Action Team. She is new to Santa Cops this year. She is a Colorado native with a passion for community outreach
Community Liaison, Joe Murphy
Joe Murphy is a long-time Weld County resident and has worked in the probation department for over 30 years. He has participated with Santa Cops for 20+ years and has been a board member for the last ten years. He says, “The Santa Cops program is so rewarding and helps provide joy to the children of our community.”
Community Liaison, Andrew Bird
Sergeant Andrew Bird is currently assigned to the Neighborhood Action Team here at the Greeley Police Department. He has been with our department for over 20 years! That’s more than two decades, folks! This is not Sergeant Bird’s first assignment to the Neighborhood Action Team, he’s a pro, but it is his first time serving as a Santa Cops board member.
At Large, Kristen Stewart
Kristen Stewart has worked for Weld County School District 6 for over 15 years as a teacher and an instructional coach and is dedicated to supporting families in the community. She has been involved in Santa Cops for many years and joined the board in 2022. She is the school district liaison and is involved in many community events in Greeley and Evans. She believes in the mission of Santa Cops and loves that she gets to see the joy in families who benefit from the organization firsthand. She is always looking for ways to improve the community she lives in.
At Large, Bobby Gallegos
Bobby has been participating in Santa Cops of Weld County for about 9 years, starting with Evans Police Department and now continuing at the UNC campus. He enjoys working with the community and helping children who wouldn’t have a Christmas without Santa Cops. He believes that Santa Cops is a great cause that not only gets the community involved but also helps parents that are struggling during the holidays. He is excited to continue helping the community in any way he can.
