The Franklin – Bingham Farms Police Benevolent Fund was established to address the unmet financial needs of Police Officers and other public safety professionals who have been stricken by injury or loss of life. The creation of the Benevolent Fund was inspired by recent injuries to Police Officers who were off-duty at the time of their tragedy, and they were subsequently unable to meet their personal financial obligations due to the lapse of their governmental salaries. Tragically, several years ago the department also lost a police officer due to sudden illness, and he left behind a young family that needed financial support from the community. The Benevolent Fund was established largely to address issues like those two examples, but the Fund also has the potential to support public safety employees in other ways, to wit: Scholarships for the children of departmental employees, life insurance policies, and wills and trust preparation for Police Officers and staff. There may be other ways to meet the unmet financial needs of Police Officers and other deserving public safety personnel, but they have yet to be determined.
In order to provide financial support as outlined above, voluntary donations will be sought from residents and business leaders in the area. In fact, several residents have already voluntarily pledged to support the fund. In the future, the Benevolent Fund may conduct charity events to raise money, should voluntary donations not provide enough financial support to the Fund. Charity events may include formal Police Officer/community balls or social gatherings, golf outings, raffles, and the sale of Benevolent Fund merchandise. The Board of Directors for the Fund is also planning to develop and maintain a social media presence on Facebook and other similar sites, in order to highlight the current financial needs of public safety employees in our geographic area.
All work done by the members of the Benevolent Fund will be on a voluntary basis, and none of the Directors will be paid for their services. All of the Directors will manage the Benevolent Fund on their own time, outside of their official duties and responsibilities. It is the intent of the Board to have the majority of the funds raised support the unmet financial needs Police Officers and other public safety personnel as outlined above, with almost no exceptions. The initial expenses associated with operating the fund include legal fees, insurance costs, and printing/publication expenses for literature and stationary associated with the Fund.