Dawson man continues philanthropy to police despite low national trust

DAWSON, Ga. (WALB) - Despite historically low approval numbers for law enforcement, a man is still giving back.

In the aftermath of Tyre Nichols’ death, numbers from a recent poll sponsored by ABC trust in police at an all-time poll low.

41% of people in the poll say police treat white and black people equally. 12% of black people trust the police.

Those numbers were 54% and 21% respectively in the same poll in 2014. The use of excessive force confidence shows a similar downward trend.

“That’s more of a big city deal. As a small department, as a small community, we try to be tight-knit. We don’t want anything to come in and destroy our way of being,” Lt. Undrekia Barnes said.

Sheron Kendrick has now built more than 150 tables to give to our first responders. He runs a non-profit called “Tables For Heroes.” He started building almost two years ago.

Kendrick and Gary Hill both work 8-9 hours a day on tables that span eight feet long. Kendrick says there’s no blueprint to build them so each table has its own character.

“It’s a constant reminder to them that the community appreciates the service that they provide,” Kendrick said.

Kendrick gives to more than just police officers. He gives to veterans, sheriff deputies, and fire departments. He recently gave a table to his hometown fire department in Dawson and is working on two more at the time of this article being written.

“With this table, we’re going to have a perfect spot on a good sunny day if you want to grill a little something for us to sit together and pray together,” Barnes said.

Barnes said these tables are more than just pieces of wood, they represent the support the community has.

Kendrick says mainstream incidents are not representative of law enforcement. Especially the ones that he interacts with every day in South Georgia. He still thinks police should do more work in the community, should be paid more, and should have more training.

“Be around when things are going good. Come to the picnic at the park. Get involved in the community and be a part of the community so you can be a part of the public trust,” Kendrick said.

Kendrick is looking for more sponsors for his table projects. He is also looking to expand his reach beyond South Georgia.

He says if you are a local business or know someone with a local business to contact him at (229) 854-3415, sheron.kendrick@yahoo.com or search his name on Facebook.

Copyright 2023 WALB. All rights reserved.