Police, dispatcher help mother who called 911 about hungry kids

By PoliceOne Staff

CAMDEN COUNTY, N.J. — A dispatcher and police officer helped a mother after she called 911 to report she had no money to buy her children food.

NBC Philadelphia reported that dispatcher Tondaleya Bagby overheard another dispatcher having a conversation with the mother of four.

“I had went to local churches and everything trying to find food for my children,” the woman said in the 911 call. “My kids have not eaten since yesterday.”

“Well this is for police only,” the dispatcher said. “It’s not for this.”

Bagby, who has children of her own, said the call made her feel for the mother.

“It made me sad. I couldn’t imagine not being able to provide for my child.”

Bagby sent Officer David Hinton to bring the family food from a local restaurant, but she wasn’t finished. She recruited her mother, Sergeant Tracy Seigel, retired Lieutenant Scott Bagby and Lieutenant Janell Simpson, and they all paid for 10 bags of groceries to give to the family.

“I went to two stores to just get as much as I could,” Bagby said.

The first responders delivered the groceries to the family, who were very thankful.

“The kids came down the steps in excitement,” Sergeant Seigel said. “And she thanked us.”