I still love my mother.

Sometimes she cried.

Sometimes I had to make dinner.

Sometimes clothes shopping meant opening up a garbage bag of a friend’s old clothes before they went to the Purple Heart.

I am not a parent myself, but I can imagine it must have been hard for her to accept help, especially in front of her children.

This Sunday, members of the Charleston Police Department held their annual Shop with a Cop event.

When I was young, my sister and I participated in a Shop with a Cop in our home, McHenry County.

I remember waking up when it was still dark outside.

I remember Mom telling us to be polite and to say thank you, and double-checking if we had our lists ready. I remember the warm smiles of the employees and policemen as we entered the store.

Mom had found out about the program during one of the rougher patches in my childhood. For a number of reasons, we were tight on money that year and she signed us up for Shop with a Cop. Through the program, we were able to Christmas shop for the family and to get a few essentials, as well.

Mom was never too proud to accept help and even as a child I recognized the strength in this humility. I knew that accepting help through opportunities like the food pantry, Shop with a Cop and the occasional church dinner does not make you a bad person or a failure.

I learned that sometimes the greatest strength is shown by the ability to recognize when you need help, to reach out and to accept it.

I never felt like my mother loved my sister and me any less.

I recently spent some time with the women who run the local Catholic Charities in Mattoon. In addition to a food pantry and other services, Catholic Charities has a huge secondhand store filled with everything from clothes and housewares to toys and sports equipment, all donated and heavily discounted.

One of the women vented her frustrations to me while I was there.

She knows there are more people out there who could use items at the store and she knows most are too proud to come and get help.

There are plenty of opportunities around Coles County to accept help if you or someone you know are in need this holiday season.

It is too late for this year’s Shop with a Cop, but it’s not too late to stop by the Charleston Area Churches Food Pantry at 411 Jackson Ave., or to stop by one of the Presbyterian Church lunches from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

As someone who has been helped by her community again and again, I understand accepting help can be difficult but it is often the first step to something better.