Burglars broke into the West End Foodbank in Benwell, Newcastle in the United Kingdom and stole wrapped Christmas presents that were supposed to be for needy children.
As part of their Christmas activities, the Foodbank asked for donations so they can give out toys worth £5 or about $7.5 to primary school kids. The toys would be given alongside food parcels so the parents can have something to give to their children on Christmas day.
Burglars Break In
The thieves made a hole in the wall panels to get inside the building. Specifically, one of the steel-clad panels that measures eight feet by four feet had been destroyed. Foodbank project manager Michael Nixon said the burglars may have performed the deed via a chisel and hammer.
"They got into the office, saw the children's presents and took them," he said.
The Morning After
When the staff went inside the office on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at around 8:30 a.m., they were shocked to see that the place was all messed up and the gifts were gone.
When the Foodbank people looked around further, they realized there was a draught.
"Lo and behold there was a hole in the wall," Nixon said.
Because of the incident, the Foodbank was forced to stop operations and close the facility for two days.
The Real Victim
Despite the disappointing incident, Nixon said they were not the real victims.
The burglars did not steal the toys from the organization, they stole it from the needy children who would have received the presents on Christmas day.
Nixon said the thieves could have come to them and ask for toys, because in that way, the organization can find a way to help them.
Meanwhile, Foodbank's clients are dismayed as they cannot believe someone will have the guts to do such misdeed.
Incredible Public Response
Truly, when a door closes, a window of hope opens. After the incident, people started visiting the facility and donated toys. Companies have urged their employees to buy gifts online and have them delivered to the center.
Aside from the donations to its beneficiaries, the Foodbank also received offers of free security camera installations and repair services from different firms.
All in all, Foodbank assistant manager Matthew King described the public response as "incredible." For him, the incident has brought out so many emotions from the staff: from despair after finding the center trashed to joy after seeing the positive response of the local community.
Photo : Nikolaj Potanin | Flickr