Gibbs High School School Resource Officer receives national honors for helping others

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A few years ago, Officer Grace Albritton had an idea.

"It was just one table, and now it has flourished into a big classroom," she said.

The Gibbs High School Resource Officer and school graduate started collecting clothing and toiletry donations for students.

"I remember being a kid that didn't have much, even just the small little thing from deodorant, embarrassed to be around people. I was that kid. So, I thought about having toiletries, anything for the kids to have, because they may not be able to go home and get those items or, you know, have access to it," Albritton said.

"I felt like, what better way to have it here and available for the kids, and they can concentrate more on school rather than what they have on or if they need certain things," she said.

Gibbs Grab 'N' Go has grown into a classroom full of donations that keep pouring in.

"It's so funny because the kids still ask, 'Hey. Can I have this?' I'm like, 'Get whatever you want, whatever you need. Even if you need something at home or for the family,' it's, I mean, it's here for them," Albritton said.

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Gibbs Grab 'N' Go has button-down shirts, new ties, shoes, prom dresses with tags still on them, dress pants, toiletries, and more. 

Albritton said the donations come from fellow officers who bring boxes of clothes and toiletries from teachers and community members.

"One of the students came in, and I believe he got a pair of pants. I can't remember what it was, but he came and thanked me. He said he never got anything new, and so, of course, me, because, of course, I'm emotional. I went outside. I had to phew, but the fact that he was so happy about what he had received and said he never received anything new really stuck with me and made me want to expand and do more," she said.

Some of the donations available at Gibbs Grab 'N' Go

The closet has caught national attention. The Attorney General presented Albritton with the Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing in Washington, D.C.

"I was ecstatic. I couldn't believe it, to be honest with you. I kept getting emails. I kept thinking I got phished," she said. "I was just so honored. I couldn't believe it. It seems so unreal. It's just to be honored for something that I feel so passionate about, and, like I said, it's not about the awards or getting recognized. It's about the kids, and that's what I'm happy about, to see smiles on their faces. That's the main thing," Albritton said.

Albritton's supervisor at the St. Pete Police Department wrote a letter nominating her. Nineteen officers, including Albritton, were chosen out of 200 applications. 

The winners fell into three categories: Innovations in Community Policing, Field Operations, and Criminal Investigations.

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Gibbs' principal said the recognition is well-deserved.

"She's so humble," Principal Barry Brown said. "I'm just so happy to have her on our campus. She's a mainstay on our campus and really, really important for us as it relates to the success that we're having," he said.
Albritton said she hopes the national attention will inspire others to start a closet in their schools and said some people have already reached out to her.

Officer Grace Albritton honored for her impact on the community 

"Having this here is, I think is, one of the greatest things that a kid can have if they don't have certain things that they need. So, I think every school should have, even in the elementary, middle, high schools, they all should have something," she said.

"I'm at a school that I graduated from, and I'm so passionate about. I was one of these little kids here, a student here at Gibbs, and it means so much to me because it doesn't feel sometimes I feel like I'm an officer. I feel like I'm just I'm here to help. I'm here to bridge the gap with the kids," Albritton said. "It's more than just policing. I care about these kids. I feel like they're my kids. Sometimes I just feel like mom," she said.

Officer Albritton said they donate whatever students and their families may not wear or use to the Salvation Army and other groups. 

If you'd like to donate to Gibbs Grab and Go or volunteer, she said to contact the school district or Gibbs High School directly.