Nettleton Police Chief delivers nearly 100 gifts to children in need on Christmas Eve

NETTLETON, MISS. (WCBI) – Every year for the past four years, Nettleton Police Chief Gary Monaghan has taken it upon himself to provide gifts for families who otherwise might go without during the holiday season.

With community members relying on his generosity maybe more than ever in 2020, Chief Monaghan once again answered the call.

“I like to help people that don’t have it,” he says. “Not that I have a lot but I have a lot more than a lot of people.”

One little girl in Amory stayed up late Wednesday evening waiting for Santa to arrive. Sure enough, he showed up Christmas Eve to handout presents with Chief Monaghan.

“Kids can’t help it,” he says. “They’re victims a lot of times so I hate to see any body left out in the cold.”

Gathering together close to 100 presents, Chief Monaghan went out with Santa Thursday to surprise families around Nettleton and Amory, giving out three presents to each child.

“We were very surprised,” says Nettleton father of three Steven Huffman. “We wasn’t expecting anything.”

Chief Monaghan says he tries to keep track of all the people he interacts with throughout the year and the struggles they are facing to make sure he can give the gifts to those that need them most.

“I just like to find people that need it,” he says. “Kids that go to Walmart every day, they don’t need it.”

“We just recently lost my husband, they’ve lost their grandparent,” says Amory grandmother Melissa Terry. “I just wanted them to have a good Christmas and with y’all doing what y’all’ve done, y’all have helped tremendously.”

“Oh, with that COVID you can’t get out and do the things you used to do,” says Nettleton grandmother Arnita James. “Go shopping like you used to. So it’s just a blessing.”

It’s a tradition Chief Monaghan learned from his father and one he hopes to pass along to the rest of his family.

“It makes me feel good to know that they got something where a lot of them don’t get anything,” he says. “You don’t know them all so you can’t fix it all but you do your part.”

The presents were donated by community members or purchased by Chief Monaghan. About half the gifts they gave out were collected by a woman throughout the year who passed away recently who wanted to make sure they went to children in need.