On Saturday, Lexington police went to Meijer on Reynolds Road to assist kids with holiday shopping. "It's all through donations that we can have this wonderful interaction and this great experience with these kids and be able to give back," said Sgt. Jeremiah Davis.

The Lafayette Fire Department held its annual “Shop with a Firefighter” at the east side Meijer in Lafayette. More than 75 kids partnered with Lafayette firemen as they filled their carts with items. “Shop with a Firefighter” serves the purpose of making sure kids in the community have what they need for the colder season.

It was like visiting Santa’s workshop at the North Pole. Shelves were stocked with Barbies, Lego sets, model cars, Nerf footballs, L.O.L. Surprise dolls and more as excited children selected their favorite toys for Christmas. On the evening of Dec. 5, members of the Warren Fire Department played Santa Claus by taking 30 Van Dyke Public Schools elementary school students shopping at the Meijer store at 12 Mile and Mound roads.

It didn’t take long for their carts to fill up with Nerf guns, Legos, and games, but there were more practical items, too, such as disposable diapers and baby food. Nine-year-old Emma bought some canned goods for the food drive at her school, Nicholas selected art supplies, and 17-month-old Zieyeal opted for a “Tickle Me Elmo,” while other kids shopped for hats and candles – Christmas gifts for their dad and mom. This was the fourth year that Meijer hosted “Heroes Helping Heroes” – its annual gift giving event, in which it partners with the sheriff’s department, the Northwest Homer Fire Protection District and the Lockport VFW Post 5788.

It was hard to tell who was having more fun or was more excited Saturday — the 70 members of the Kenosha Police Department or the elementary school kids they were helping during the annual Shop with a Cop program held at Meijer.

As a kid, waking up early in the morning to go shopping doesn't seem like a lot of fun. But it is when you have a chance to ride in a police car or even a fire truck to come out and pick out some of your favorite toys for your friends and family. Kids told News 10's Alani Letang that it's all worth it. "I got nervous at first since I didn't really know them. But it turned out to be really, really fun," said Rebekah O'Byrne, shopped with a hero.

This holiday season, local law enforcement is making sure that everyone in the family gets a Christmas gift. 79 kids traveled to Meijer from the Fraternal Order of Police Lima Lodge where they were paired with an officer so that they could shop for both Christmas presents and essentials. All of the money comes from community support. Since 2008, 627 children have benefited from the program.

The Columbus Meijer located on Hamilton Road previously had a liquor license to sell beer, wine, and low-proof liquor. Now, the store says they are selling high-proof liquor. There are 477 Contract Liquor Agencies in Ohio that can sell high-proof spirits, and 11 more are scheduled to open in the coming months. The City of Columbus currently has only 32 Contract Liquor Agencies.

"Breaking down barriers" between local youth and emergency services workers is a benefit to any community. That's the premise behind Gratiot County Child Advocacy's "Shop with a Hero" program.

The Fort Wayne area Toys for Tots program got a donation of $18,000 in toys Thursday morning thanks to the people at Dana Inc. "It's just heartwarming to know that we are able to give joy and a smile to a little girl or boy on Christmas morning by giving them a brand new toy," drive coordinator Sunny Helstrom explained. The staff raised the money through raffles and donations. Employees, retired workers and family members rushed through the isles at Meijer on Illinois Road, filling carts full of toys, art supplies, movies, sporting goods and other gifts.