LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Lexington non-profit is adding “repair damaged vehicles” to its to-do list after an overnight break-in Wednesday. Thieves targeted Habitat for Humanity, and this isn’t the first time.
“We have things people want and believe they can use to make money,” said CEO Rachel Childress. “We're right here, and I guess it's just easy.”
She showed LEX 18 the damage to their fence, where she says two people cut a hole and got inside their property on Loudon Avenue just after 2:30 in the morning. Then the criminals broke open three of their trailers, likely trying to steal power tools.
They didn’t find any because the organization locks them up. They learned a tough lesson a few years ago, when someone stole thousands of dollars’ worth of tools. More recently, Habitat for Humanity also became the target of catalytic converter thefts.
While this week’s damage could be worse, Childress said the broken locks and ripped fence are frustrating because they waste time that could be spent focusing on more important work. She added that they installed lights and security cameras a few years ago to prevent more damage. Now, Lexington police are also investigating the break-in.
In the meantime, Childress shared a message of forgiveness to the people who targeted them overnight.
“Our vision is everyone has a decent place to live,” she said. “And we believe that. Everyone. Not everyone if, not everyone but, not everyone except, and that includes them.”
She said if people need help finding resources, Habitat for Humanity would partner with other organizations to get them access to what they need, so they don’t have to steal.
