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The man behind the Forest Lawn nonprofit group said it was devastated after two break-ins this week targeting used laptops and tablets, as well as bicycles and art supplies.
The Youth Empowerment and Skills Development Center at the Forest Lawn Community Center in the city’s southeast has been targeted by thieves twice, targeting items intended for at-risk youth and low-income families.
“It brought us back to ground zero. This man took the log that was floating with us and just let us sink,” said Gar Gar, executive director of the YES Center, which has been working in the community for the past seven years.
“I’m really hurt and really sad,” Gar said. We have to start all over again,” he said.
According to Garr, someone cut the locks and forced their way inside the center before returning a second time, 74 donated laptops, 29 laptops being checked for technical issues, 23 new Google Chromebooks, 10 iPads used by children visiting the center and 14 iPads threatened by the local community. given to young people in the group.
Also received were eight MacBooks used by children studying art and music, four more Apple laptops, 20 Bluetooth headsets and 25 LED bicycle lights, as well as several donated bicycles and art supplies.
“People give because they believe it will help someone else. One program helped job seekers use computers to work on resumes and get jobs. Not everyone involved was just that.” [a] a computer or a tool or a bike, it’s something that can make someone’s life better,” Gar said.
The laptop donation program was launched during the pandemic when children in schools needed access to laptops for online learning.
Gar said he reported the incident to the police and has CCTV footage of one of the attackers. Three locks were cut and left at the scene, and one door was forced open.
According to Gar, his insurance does not cover donated items.
While he waits to see if there’s anything the police can do, he hopes the thieves responsible might reconsider their actions.
“I encourage them to have a kind heart and say, ‘I’m going to bring it back, I’m going to do the right thing,'” said Gar.
He says that if the items are gone forever, he will have to start from scratch.
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