Community brings teens merry Christmas | Palatka Daily News, Palatka, Florida

A teenager and a Putnam County sheriff's deputy go shopping in the Palatka Walmart on Sunday as "shop with a deputy" returns. Photo courtesy of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
Positively Putnam FL

Deputies and generous community members brought Christmas cheer to Putnam County teens as “shop with a deputy” returned Sunday.

Teens got to spend between $160 and $175 picking out presents at the Palatka Walmart alongside law enforcement, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said in a post.

Most of the money came from donations within the sheriff’s office as well as money that Walmart associates raised. But a “generous benefactor” saw the teens and deputies walking in the store and also donated an extra $50 per youth, the sheriff’s office said. The donor’s identity was unclear as of publication time.

Other Walmart shoppers also chipped in, and Pizza Hut provided lunch.

“We pick teenagers because often they are forgotten during the Christmas donation season and they can especially use a dose of Christmas spirit,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “Teenagers are resilient, but they can also put the burden of the world on their shoulders when crisis comes.”

In addition to brightening the teenagers’ holiday season, the agency wrote that “shop with a deputy” aims to build relationships of trust between teens and authorities, allowing deputies to deepen their understanding of young people’s struggles.

“The giving spirit showed through with many of our teens picking out at least one item to give as a gift to a family member,” the sheriff’s office said. “Talk about Christmas spirit!”