A generous neighbor recently gave $200 to each of the 48 deputies working for the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office in Milledgeville, Georgia, and their reactions were priceless.
The gift amounted to nearly $10,000, WMAZ reported Monday.
Ernesto Lopez has been a deputy with the agency for many years and recently took some time away from the office. However, when he got back to work there was an envelope waiting for him and he had no idea what was inside.
“Usually, we get Chick-fil-A gift cards, you know — just something small — but when I saw it, I was surprised. I wasn’t expecting something like that,” he recalled, adding the cash will help with bills and other expenses.
Tori Kala, who works as assistant vice president of Century Bank and Trust, was the one person the anonymous donor knew would accomplish his mission, so she put together the envelopes with special notes inside and promptly delivered them to the agency.
In a social media post Wednesday, the sheriff’s office posted a photo of officials with the stack of white envelopes:
Followers were quick to applaud the donor’s surprise gift and share their appreciation for the deputies.
“How awesome! I know each & every deputy was thankful! God bless this special donor who appreciates his Sheriff’s Office!” one person commented.
Someone else called the gift “Well deserved” while another said, “A tough and often under appreciated job, that’s an awesome gesture.”
According to Kala, the generous donor simply wanted to show his appreciation for the people who give so much to their community every day.
“He said, ‘You know what? Law enforcement needs it for what they do. They protect us.’ He wanted to thank them for their service and protecting us,” Kala told WMAZ.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Bill Massee reportedly knew the donor’s name but was keeping it a secret.