Community center burglarized - Vermont Foodbank

September 04, 2008

Community center burglarized

Community center burglarizedThe County Courier

By Gail Callahan

EAST FAIRFIELD: The Vermont State Police have few leads and no suspects in an early morning break-in Tuesday, Aug. 26, at the East Fairfield Community Center.

The center on School Street houses a food shelf, a community center and a pre-school.

Vermont State Senior Trooper John MacCallum of the St. Albans Barracks said the perpetrator gained entry into the building through a rear window. Once inside, office and electronic items, such as computers and telephones, were taken from the pre-school and community center. Additionally, a child’s green wagon was also removed from the pre-school and a large amount of groceries were taken from the food shelf, MacCallum said.

“We have no suspects at this time, but we do have some physical evidence from the scene,” said MacCallum, earlier this week. “There is nothing to indicate whether a single person or multiple people did this.”

MacCallum also appealed to the public to contact the Vermont State Police with any information on the incident.
Steve Doe, chairman of the East Fairfield Community Center’s five-member board of directors, said he was troubled by the grocery items taken from the food shelf. He said frozen food, rice and oatmeal were among the items removed from the food shelf.

“I’m nervous,” Doe said. “They cleaned out our freezer. You could tell that whoever did this knew their way around the center.”

Doe contacted the Vermont Food Bank in Barre for an emergency supply of food, which was delivered. Insurance will also help cover the cost of some items taken during the incident, he said.

This is not the first time food shelves in Vermont have been the target of burglars. Judy Stermer, director of communication for the Vermont Food Bank, noted that the burglary in East Fairfield is the third such incident involving thefts from food shelves recently. A food pantry in Bellows Falls and a food shelf housed in the Congregational Church in Vergennes also had groceries taken, she said. Stermer pointed out that with the rising costs of fuel and food, an increasing number of low-income people will fall through the cracks this winter.

“It’s a very disturbing reality,” Stermer said. “It’s a scary reality, and people are worried.”

A public forum is slated for Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. at the East Fairfield Community Center to discuss community-related issues and what solutions can be implemented. Doe said the center is also in need of donations, and they can be sent to: East Fairfield Community Center, P.O. Box 16 East Fairfield, VT 05448, or call 827-3130.

Anyone with information about the break-ins should call the Vermont State Police at 524-5993.

September 04, 2008

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