CINCINNATI -- Building Value, a Northside nonprofit dedicated to serving disabled and low-income Cincinnatians, lost $9,000 in a single Sunday morning when thieves broke into its retail store, shattered the windows of its vans and made off with expensive construction equipment. Store manager David Daniels was heartbroken.
"The thieves stole our ability to do what we do for the individuals we serve," Daniels said.
A little over a week after the initial theft, however, Daniels and his colleagues have learned that the people they help are also willing to help them. Building Value has received almost $4,000 in online cash donations and more in physical donations of replacement tools -- including a high-end hammer drill -- since the burglary, he said Tuesday.
Building Value and its parent organization, Easterseals, work to help Cincinnatians who live with physical disabilities as well as those who face other barriers to employment, such as poverty, underemployment and past criminal convictions.
It's all about redemption, Daniels said. The goods sold at Building Value are made from materials salvaged from historic buildings by people who want to make a positive difference in their lives.
That could even include the thieves, according to Daniels.
"Even for the people who robbed us, (I'd say) come see us and get into the program, change your life," he said. "We will take you in."
Although Building Value has received thousands of dollars in donations, it still needs help to cover all the costs incurred by the robbery. If you would like to give, you can do so by donating to Easterseals online.
