Partners for Youth seeks "elves" to help Lexington teens this Christmas

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Partners for Youth is asking the Lexington community to help make Christmas a little brighter for local teenagers who might otherwise be left out of holiday giving programs.

Executive Director Shanreka Shackelford said the idea came after she learned that teens are not always included in some popular seasonal giving programs.

“I had no idea that teens were not included for some of the popular programming that gives every season,” Shackelford said. “And so, I said nope, that can't be. I program for teens, everything I do, you know, we include all kids, but teens are our majority.”

That realization led Shackelford to start Be an Elf last year, inviting people in Lexington to step in as Santa’s helpers for teenagers in need.

Through the program, teens are referred to Partners for Youth and matched with community members who sign up to become “elves.” Those elves then receive a Christmas list for the teen they are matched with.

This year, Partners for Youth hopes to make Christmas special for up to 100 teens between the ages of 13 and 18. Shackelford said the number of young people the program can help depends on how many people sign up.

“If I get an overflood of elves, the more elves I get, the more children I can help,” she said.

For Shackelford, the program is about more than the gifts themselves. She said teenagers may act like Christmas isn't a big deal to them, but small gestures can still make a difference.

“You know, they try to in front of us, you know, put on that air of, no, I'm good, no, I'm fine,” Shackelford said. “No, I see the little kid in your eyes, and I see your reaction when we do the small things.”

People interested in becoming an elf can look for Be an Elf posters around Lexington featuring QR codes with information on how to get started or you can click here: Be An Elf: Gift A Teen - Intellistack

Shackelford's message to the community is simple: “Help Santa out this season for our teens.”

Molly Demrow is committed to covering the stories that matter to you. If you have an idea, please reach out to Molly at molly.demrow@wlex.tv

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.