GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – Shelaine Smith has been with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office for 17 years.
This is her first year as a school resource deputy at Fort Clarke Middle School.
“I love kids, I enjoy kids, and think that I could make a difference,” said Deputy Smith.
Since 2018, Deputy Smith has worked closely with Partnership for Strong Families, helping out with their holiday ‘Wish Upon a Star’ toy drive for children in foster care.
This drive hits close to home for Deputy Smith because she adopted her son, Nehemiah, during the holiday season.
“I adopted my kid from Partnership for Strong Families. At age three, a young boy was placed with me in December 2019. It was very close to Christmas. I received one of the bags from the ‘Wish Upon a Star’ toy drive. It was positive because he was placed on short notice, and I didn’t have to scramble to get him gifts. It was all provided.”
She also helps out with the Partnership’s back-to-school drive during the summertime.
“It’s important to have an SRD connected to your community and who understands your kids because that helps us create strong relationships here. She enjoys being with our kids, she spends time with them in the hallway; she communicates clearly with us and our parents, and she has a really strong spirit of wanting to make Fort Clarke a good place to be,” said Fort Clarke Middle School principal Melissa Pratto.
Whether it’s in foster care or public schools, Deputy Smith’s impact is widespread.
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