Town of Irmo Mayor Bill Danielson has partnered with the Irmo Police Department Community Foundation for a new initiative that has already raised $70,000.

The new effort, the Mayor's Uplift Initiative, aims to help local families with their basic needs.

This is in collaboration with the Irmo Police Department Community Foundation (IPDCF), which began in 2019 with the goal of fostering collaboration between the community and police. Foundation leaders say they hope this will help make the neighborhood a safer and more caring place.

The IPDCF has hosted events over the years, including Serving Our Seniors, National Night Out, Shop with a Cop, delivery of school supplies to underprivileged children in local schools and annual food drives.

Shop with a Cop, for example, gives selected families a $200 gift card during the holiday season. Each family shops for essentials such as clothes, food, toys and more, accompanied by an Irmo police officer.

The IPDCF relies entirely on sponsorships and donations from businesses and individuals.

Those who wish to donate can do so in different ways:

1. Mail your check or money order to IPDCF, P.O. Box 2692, Irmo, S.C., 29063
2. Drop off donations at the Irmo Police Department, located at 1230 Columbia Ave. in Irmo
3. Donate online here (if you are reading this in print, visit the online version of this story to click on the link)

For more information, contact Sgt. Brett Mielke, Community Services Division, at bmielke@townofirmosc.com or 803-781-8088.