Police Department selling special pride police patches to support nonprofit LifeTies
When people drive to the Hopewell Township Municipal building a Pride flag now flies to show support for the township’s LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, intersex, asexual) community.
Hopewell Township officials and members of the police department raised the Pride flag on June 1 to kickoff Pride Month. They were joined by Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli (D-15).
The raising of the Pride flag is not the only way the township is showing support. The police department will be wearing and selling specialty Pride police patches bearing the Pride colors around and through the patch letters during the month.
Sgt. Alexis Mirra, who helped raise the Pride flag, came up with idea for specialty patches to show the department’s support and commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community.
The patches idea originated from Mirra’s own collection of police patches and efforts by other police departments that have also worn different types of specialty patches across the country including Salem, Mass.
Proceeds from the patches will go to LifeTies, a Ewing non-profit, providing services and care to youth in crisis due to sexual orientation, gender, abuse, neglect, homelessness, HIV, AIDS, Lupus and diabetes.
The organization operates four programs – Triad House, Rainbow House, Teenage Independent Living Training [TILT], and Mary’s Place.
Triad House is a 24-hour residential group home for GLBTQ and heterosexual GLBTQ-friendly youth from ages 14-18, who are victims of abuse, homelessness and neglect.
Rainbow House serves as a 24-hour special needs housing program for medically fragile females ages 12-21 living with HIV, AIDS, Lupus, and/or diabetes, according to the nonprofit.
Focusing on independent living skills for older adolescence, TILT is a program that focuses on ages 15-21.
Mary’s Place provides permanent supportive housing for youth aging out from ages 18-21. The program offers scattered site housing and support services.
To purchase one of the Pride police patches, stop by the Hopewell Township Police Department at 201 Washington Crossing Pennington Road or calling 609-737-3100.
