OTHELLO — The Othello Chapter of the Beta Lambda Phi sorority has come to the aid of Othello Policemen and their Shop with a Cop program, which will occur on Saturday, Dec. 17.

Othello Officers will be taking 12 children from the community to shop for Christmas. Each officer will spend one-on-one time with a child and take him or her out to lunch before they go shopping.

The officer will buy presents for each of the child’s family members who live in the house and, of course, one for the child. Shop with a Cop is an outreach to families who might struggle to have a merry Christmas.

Beta Lambda is an International Woman’s Organization with chapters all over the world. Beta Sigma Phi means life, learning and friendship. There are three chapters in Othello: Beta Lambda, Xi Beta Xi, and Delta Upsilon.

The Beta Lambda Chapter has donated $300 and a large quantity of Christmas wrapping materials to the Shop with a Cop program. The money will go toward the budget each officer has to spend on the child while they are shopping. The wrapping materials will help beautify the presents.

The Beta Lambda chapter donates regularly to the Othello food bank and other organizations throughout the year. By referral from various organizations, during Christmas time it adopts a family and presents gifts to the entire family. The chapter will be adopting three families this year.

Beta Lambda Phi also award college scholarships to graduating high school students. Every year the chapter selects service projects to support.

“We want the community to know we are here and we do some fundraising to help various service projects,” Publicist Suzanne Palmiero said. “We also like to contribute to cultural events.”

Beta Lambda is a social organization, whose meetings every two weeks focus on educational programs. They invite guest speakers.

“We continue to educate ourselves,” Palmiero said.