Police say someone broke into the basement of a local charity and stole thousands of dollars of equipment the group uses to help the elderly, kids and the less fortunate.
PAW Kids, which stands for Paradise Atlanta Westside, provides educational opportunities for local kids, help with health care and home maintenance for kids and the elderly in the neighborhood.
When @PAWKidsatGP non-profit org bought an old trap house, they kept the studio someone built & now kids in the neighborhood use it to create music while getting tutored for school in the same house. Story on Ch2 at 4pm pic.twitter.com/EPZipZSQ5C
— Tyisha Fernandes (@TyishaWSB) July 26, 2018
On Thursday morning, police say thieves broke into the nonprofit's building off Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway and made off with thousands of dollars' worth of lawn equipment and other tools.
Channel 2's Tyisha Fernandes was at the scene where police are still looking for a suspect. They say someone cut the metal mesh on the door of the building and helped themselves into everything in the basement.
The organization has spent years and thousands of dollars accumulating the equipment that they use to help hundred of people in the community.
Fernandes spoke to PAW Kids' founder Latonya Gates Boston, who said she is heartbroken someone would do this.
"It hurts because you’re taking from the people," Boston told Fernandes. "They took everything – our lawn mowers, our blowers, weed eaters, everything is gone, chainsaws – and without that – we can’t service the seniors in our neighborhood, we can’t service the single parents in our neighborhood."
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Initially, PAWS was founded to help neighborhood kids with their education, self esteem and health care. But the organization quickly realized hundreds of seniors and other people in the community needed their help as well.
"We offer GED classes, we have a raven's nest, we partner with other community partners and we have health care," Boston said "So we have a small free medical clinic here where people in this community can come get their shots, their physicals, blood pressure, be seen for STDs..."
In addition to those services, the charity feeds more than 300 people in the neighborhood every week.
Boston said that since someone stole so many of their resources, it will be hard to offer the services they take so much pride in.
"With all the gentrification going on, this is a place where our neighbors can come to and still receive resources that they would not be able to receive," Boston said.
Boston is worried the thief may be someone the know or even someone they helped.
If you want to help PAW Kids, you can donate HERE.
Cox Media Group
