Target on Thursday awarded the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office a $750 grant, which Sheriff Steve Sikes said will fund community projects like neighborhood watch and Project Lifesaver.

The Target & Blue Public Safety Grant Program is part of the retail corporation’s commitment to innovative philanthropy and is rooted in the philosophy that public and private partnerships create safer communities, according to Target’s website.

“This is helping us out immensely,” Sikes said.

The sheriff implemented Project Lifesaver this year after reading about the nationwide program in a magazine. The program tracks children and adults with special needs by equipping them with tracking devices that look like watches. If the person wanders off or goes missing, participating agencies usually can locate them within 20 minutes.

 “These funds come in handy, especially for something like Project Lifesaver,” LCSO Capt. David Edwards said. “We’ve already been able to order some things for Project Lifesaver like batteries, tracking devices and things we need, but we may not have been able to get without these funds.”