How We Help

How We Help

how-we-help

The underlying purpose of the NYPD Honor Legion is to render aid and comfort to the survivors of the Members of the Service who have made the supreme sacrifice in the performance of their duty: (Fidelis Ad Mortem.) This purpose is carried out by the Members of the Honor Legion with the thoughtfulness of mind that there but for the grace of God go I.

We are dedicated to providing assistance to the surviving family members of law enforcement officers, who were killed in the line of duty. While our primary focus is on the line of duty families, we also provide assistance to none line of duty families in distress or dire financial needs.

The NYPD Honor Legion is made up of the following three 501(c)(3) charitable organizations that provide services to the law enforcement community:

  • Honor Legion
  • Widows and Orphans Fund
  • Scholarship Fund

Some of the programs being offered through our charitable organizations include: scholarships; our annual Christmas program; annual family day picnic; cemetery plots at Cypress Hills and support for other fraternal organizations.

Scholarship Program

Each year the Honor Legion provides scholarships for the education of our heroes’ children. To qualify, children of slain New York City law enforcement officer must simply complete an application and submit a 500-word essay of specific topics as outlined by the Honor Legion. This year’s subject for the essay is “What New York City can do to improve recruitment/retention of New York City Police Officers.”

Scholarships are presented at our Annual Dinner Dance, where we also honor a Person of the Year and a Citizen of The Year.

Scholarship-Program

Annual Christmas Program

The Annual Christmas Program was created to make sure surviving family members of fallen heroes are not alone or forgotten during the holiday season. A luncheon is hosted at O’Neill’s Bar and Grill for widows, widowers and children within the first two weeks in December. The families are surrounded by active members of law enforcement of all ranks and from the various departments of the NYPD to honor the memories of our departed heroes.

The event concludes with Santa Claus making an appearance to distribute gifts followed by a fly by from the Aviation unit.

Family Day Picnic

The Family Day Picnic is held annually at Floyd Bennett Field, where active members of service come together with surviving family members. The day is focused on providing these gold families with an escape and an amazing experience with their extended law enforcement family, which is made up of 35,000 members strong.

Representatives are on hand from Mounted, Highway, Harbor, K-9, ESU, Aviation, and many more. The children get an opportunity to interact with various units and even get to try out the equipment, ride the horses, and be taken for a ride on motorcycles with the Highway unit.

Family members and active MOS look forward to this annual event of food and fun!

Family Day Picnic
Family Day Picnic
Family Day Picnic
Family Day Picnic

Police Burial Grounds

A section of Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn (known as Police Arlington or the Police Memorial Garden) has been preserved by the Honor Legion, where NYPD officers and their wives can be buried at no cost to the families. The circular burial ground with its pathways repaired and grounds maintained was recently refurbished. Dating to the 1870s, the oldest gravestone dates to 1864. It is the only site in the country dedicated for police officers.

Each year NYPD’s ceremonial unit, along with department brass, take part in a cemetery ceremony held to remember law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

Police-Buial-Grounds

[Photo Credit: Newsday / Anthony M. DeStefano]

Other Fraternal Organizations

In our commitment to providing support for surviving family members of our fallen heroes, the Honor Legion is often called upon by other fraternal organizations to assist with families in dire need. When that happens, the request is presented to our board of directors for their review and a vote on the merit of the request. If approved, after a thorough and exhaustive review of the details presented, the board will fund the request at a level we deem appropriate.