Christmastime is a busy time for all, but perhaps no one was busier this past December than Val Queiroga.

While most of us hit the stores to do last-minute shopping, Val was in a caravan of police cars bringing holiday cheer to an ill child in Virginia. For those who know Val, an officer with the North Haven Police Department (NHPD), it's not a surprise that he would take time from work and his own holiday shopping to help someone-especially a child-in need.

Val is not only dedicated to his police work, but he is also very dedicated to his volunteer activities. He will be honored for all that he does in February when he receives the Officer of the Year award from the Hamden Elks.

Val was born and raised in North Haven, graduating from North Haven High School in 1999. He graduated from UConn in 2004 with a degree in political science. He is currently working on his master's degree in business administration at the University of New Haven.

After graduating from UConn, Val completed an internship with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. He then worked with the Secret Service for one year before joining the NHPD in December 2004. He was the top graduate in his police academy class.

The move back to North Haven was a good one.

"I love it here," says Val. "It's a good department."

Val is an instructor on the SWAT team and just took over as union president. While he serves as an intermediary between the officers and the administration in that role, Val is also a leader on fundraising efforts.

Every year, the NHPD participates in St. Baldrick's, a children's cancer charity.

"We all shave our heads," says Val.

In December, Val coordinated a Blue Christmas program for local families who have family members serving in the military in Afghanistan. Also during the Christmas holiday season, the union was a significant contributor to the town's Department of Community Services & Recreation holiday toy distribution program through a community toy drive.

Yet, a highlight for Val was participating in the caravan from Massachusetts to Virginia. Val says the caravan consisted of 250 police officers and 102 cars, representing 80 departments from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

The officers met five year-old Nathan Norman, who is battling brain cancer, at Liberty University in Virginia and gave him the Christmas cards he requested from emergency personnel, along with presents.

Val wants people to know that the police department really cares about members of the community.

"One of our roles is to help the community," says Val. "We help the community, not just arrest people. We have a lot of good guys here and we want to give back and help people. We're trying to be more community-oriented."

The NHPD has been successful with fundraising in recent years. A tag sale to benefit the family of someone battling breast cancer raised more than $10,000. Through G Salon on Washington Avenue, members of the department raised about $8,000 when they got their heads shaved for the St. Baldrick's fundraiser. The union also participates in Tip a Cop and torch run events to benefit Special Olympics.

Val says the officers recognize that they can make a difference, and that the fundraisers enable them to do just that.

"We're in a position to do that. People listen to us," says Val. "We have the ability to reach out to people. I try to use that when I reach out for fundraisers."

Val says he truly enjoys working on fundraisers-"It's rewarding, but it's a lot of work," he says.

When police officers enter the police academy for training, they learn that the main part of their job is law enforcement, says Val, "But they should be told that part of the job is taking care of the community, too."

For Val, taking care of the community is something he plans to keep doing for a long time. He hopes to continue to climb the ranks at the department. The next stop would be sergeant.

As for the fundraising, "I'm going to keep doing it as long as I have my health," he says. "I don't see any stopping. I still have a lot of energy."